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Payne (l) and Patten (r) on the podium
Women's 10km marathon:
Gold: Larisa Ilchenko (Rus) 1:59:27.7
Silver: Keri-Anne Payne (GB) 1:59:29.2
Bronze: Cassandra Patten (GB) 1:59:31.0
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Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten won silver and bronze for Team GB in the open-water 10km race on Wednesday.
The British pair, training partners at the Stockport Metro club, led for virtually the entire race but were overhauled in the closing stages by world champion Larisa Ilchenko, who justified her pre-race position as the hot favourite.
Ilchenko finished in a time of one hour 59 minutes 27.77 seconds. Payne came home second in 1:59.29.2 with Patten finishing in 1:59.31.0, just holding off a late burst from German Angela Maurer.
Afterwards a delighted Payne said: "To get a medal is amazing. We didn't have a tactic, we just went out and swam.
"We didn't talk at all out there, we're best friends, we train together and we just kind of knew when to kick at the right time.''
"The course was really flat and one of the best I've ever swum. But I got weeds stuck in my costume and in my face.''
Patten revealed she had her feet tugged back by Ilchenko in the closing stages, before admitting the physical torment she had gone through during the race.
Annoyed
"I was quite annoyed, it's not sportsmanship when you pull on someone's feet,'' she said.
"Every part of your body is hurting. Your stomach is the size of a pea, because all the blood rushes to your arms, your body is saying stop but your head is saying 'come on, keep going'.
"The last kilometre felt like 20km, every time I looked up the finish seemed no closer.
"During the final stages we could hear all our team-mates cheering us on which was fantastic. It was great to have them there.''
The Britons led almost from the off, establishing themselves at the head of the field early on and then working together to set the pace.
They turned for home in front but with Ilchenko tucked in behind.
The Russian, unbeaten since 2004 in this event, attacked with around 250m to go and although Payne responded well she could not hold her rival off.
South Africa's Natalie Du Toit, an amputee who won five gold medals at the Paralympics in 2004, finished 16th.
Du Toit lost a leg below the knee in a motorbike accident several years ago.
