Mo Johnson relishing golden World Cup adventure

Moesha Johnson, Australia's reigning world champion in 5km and 10km open water swimming, is strategically focusing on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, working backward from that goal.

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For me, this year, the goal was looking at [the 2028 Olympic Games in] LA and working backwards.

Johnson, who also secured a silver medal in the 10km marathon at the Paris Olympics and finished sixth in the 1500m at the World Championships, has been navigating a variety of challenging conditions on the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup circuit. These have included warm waters in Egypt and cold, choppy seas in the Mediterranean, where she even wore a wetsuit for the first time in competition.

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And working backwards meant that open water is a priority.

While many in Australia associate swimming success primarily with pool events and upcoming competitions like the Commonwealth Games trials, Johnson has been quietly dominating the open water scene. Her dedication to open water racing is a deliberate choice for this year, even as she maintains her pool speed by training alternatively and racing pool events without attending the usual major meets.

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I'm just doing it a little bit alternatively this year. I'm not doing the usual competitions. I'm still racing a lot of pool, it's still at the forefront of my mind, I'm just not doing the usual meets that everyone's looking at.

Operating somewhat out of the public eye, Johnson has spent months away from home, enduring the recent Middle Eastern conflict. However, the 28-year-old athlete has maintained a remarkable streak of success, demonstrating a commitment to her open water ambitions as she targets Olympic gold in Los Angeles.

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But that's why I chose this year to keep