Come on in, the water's fine. There's a new event on the Olympic programme and it's destined to become a hardy highlight. After 20 years of long-distance swimmers begging and pleading, the International Olympic Committee has given a slot to the 10km open-water race, the gruelling marathon of the water world.
The IOC's reluctance to add events stems from the fact the games have got too big. There are too many sports, too many disciplines and events, too many athletes - a logistical head melt. They pledged to cap the number of athletes at 10,500 and only add new events if old ones were cut.
Following a heap of number-juggling manoeuvres, they finally agreed to let 25 men and 25 women dive in for the inaugural open-water swim in Beijing. They won't regret it.
Swimming was the star of the show in the Sydney and Athens Games and this addition will only beef up its credentials. The personal battles have made for compelling viewing: Ian Thorpe's incredible performances, complemented by Michael Phelps' half a dozen stunning victories last time round, have delivered heroic storylines from the pool at a time when track and field is reeking with doping scandals and struggling to regain its stature.
No male swimmer has ever won the same event at three successive Olympics, but Beijing is offering us the tantalising prospect of three potential 'three-peats'.
For one, 'The Flying Dutchman' Pieter van den Hoogenband is chasing his third 100 metres title. No doubt the Thorpedo will be looking to rain on that particular parade, and he himself will have his eye on a slice of immortality by taking his third gold in the 400 metres.
