Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Ferry Weertman, Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallist and Vice Chair of the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming Technical Committee, highlights the importance of positioning in the highly competitive fields seen at events like the Ibiza World Cup. He explained that starting too far back uses extra energy to move forward, while maintaining a front position early is challenging due to the high caliber of participants.
According to Weertman, placing near the front early in the 10km race is advantageous, as it becomes more difficult to advance as the race progresses and the line of swimmers stretches out. Swimmers who are not natural front-runners typically aim for the front third of the pack to benefit from drafting without falling too far behind to catch up later.
Weertman also noted that a headwind on the Ibiza course can slow the leaders and create choppy water, making navigation and tactics more challenging. However, currents in other parts of the course may counter some of these effects, influencing competitors' strategies.