Video: Robbie Renwick prepares for Loch Lomond swim

COMMONWEALTH Games gold medal winner Robbie Renwick today backed the thousands of swimmers who are taking part in the Great Scottish Swim at Loch Lomond this weekend.

Olympian and Commonwealth Gold medallist Robbie Renwick swims in Loch Lomond. Picture: Robert Perry

World class athletes and around 2,000 amateur swimmers will take part in the event which will give participants of all abilities the opportunity to take on half mile, one mile or two mile challenges in the open water.

London 2012 Olympian Robbie Renwick will take part in the elite races alongside other home British Olympians such as twice World Champion and Olympic silver medallist Keri-Anne Payne, two time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Caitlan McClatchey.

The international field includes World Champion Christian Reichert of Germany and former World Cup winner and Olympian Chad Ho from South Africa.

Olympian and Commonwealth Gold medallist Robbie Renwick swims in Loch Lomond. Picture: Robert Perry

Alex Jackson, Great Swim Series event director, from organisers Nova International said, “We’re really looking forward to staging the 2013 Great Scottish Swim in its new location for the first time.

“Giving swimmers the opportunity to swim in such an iconic place is very exciting. The event is set to be bigger and better than ever before.”

The event is part of Great Swim, Europe’s biggest open water swimming series, which gives 20,000 participants the opportunity to swim in Lakes, Lochs and urban docks across the UK including; the Great North Swim at Windermere, Cumbria, the Great East Swim at Alton Water, near Ipswich, the Great Manchester Swim at Salford Quays and the Great London Swim in the Royal Victoria Docks. -