Malibu Olympian wins National Open Water Championships in Castaic

CASTAIC, Calif. (KABC) -- A 23-year-old Olympian from Malibu came in 1st place after completing a 6.2-mile swim at the National Open Water Championships in Castaic Lake.

The winner, Jordan Wilimovsky, finished at just under 1 hour 58 minutes. He will move on to defend his title at the FINA World Championships.

The open water competition brought in 20 athletes from around the U.S. and four other countries. The course was a mile in length and swimmers looped it a little more than six times to complete the 10K. The length is more than three times the distance of an Iron Man triathlon swim.

"It's a mental game and it's tough and it's 69 degree water right now. It's tough - not easy at all," said Jeremy Anderson with Canyons Aquatic Club.