Brendan Capell and Kate Brookes-Peterson clinched the men's and women's 10-kilometre events on day two of the Australian Open Water Swimming Championships at Manly on Tuesday.

It was the first Australian championship since the 10km swim was added to the 2008 Olympic program for Beijing and both the male and female events produced highly exciting but contrasting races.

A final lap break away from the experienced training partners Capell and Josh Santacaterina set up a stroke-for-stroke finish with Capell claiming the title by an incredible 0.27 of a second in 1hour 58:35.41.

Santacaterina took silver in 1hour 58:35.68 with five-time Australian surf race champion iron man Ky Hurst (1hour 58:55) claiming bronze, 0.72 secs ahead of 18-year-old David Browne.

Capell and Santacaterina will now represent the Telstra Dolphins Australian Team in the 10km event at this year's FINA World Championships in Naples in August.

In the women's event, the 21-year-old Brookes-Peterson who made her debut for Australia at the World Championships in Montreal last year, went to the front early and at the half way mark had opened up a commanding lead of 1 minute 30 seconds.

Wasting no time in asserting her authority on the race, Brookes-Peterson was rewarded with an impressive start-to-finish victory, stopping the clock in a time of 2 hours 05.12 minutes.

Shelley Clark led the chasing pack of three that included 2005 Australian team members Lauren Arndt and Trudee Hutchinson.

Clark snatched the silver and will join Brookes-Peterson on the World Championship team for Italy.

Clark won the battle for the minor placings in 2 hours 07.02, just three seconds ahead of bronze medal winner, Hutchinson (2h 07.05).

Swimming Australia