While everyone talked water quality, another Seine factor helped Aussie Moesha Johnson swim to silver

Australian marathon swimmer Moesha Johnson believes that her choice to practice in the River Seine and get a handle on its powerful current while some of her competitors turned down the opportunity played a key role in her silver medal win.

Speaking to Nine after she finished second in the 10km race, Johnson shared that many athletes skipped a practice session on Wednesday due to concerns with the water quality, giving her a potential edge.

The two-hour training session provided the only chance for swimmers to familiarise themselves with the conditions, including the fierce current that played such a big role in the race, after Olympic officials confirmed the bacteria levels and water quality were safe.

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"We've had the media all about water quality. For us, it's been that current, we've had to look at it for a while and prepare for it," the 26-year-old said.

"It was a huge factor. The tactics had to change a lot from all the races we've done in the last 18 months – this is the most unique one.

"I think you saw it today, the girls didn't quite get the race meet we normally expect. Normally we swim in a big group of girls, but was very single-file."

Johnson claimed the silver medal in the women's 10km marathon swim, with her Dutch training partner Sharon van Rouwendaal taking home the gold.

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She told Nine's Ally Langdon and James Bracey that the top two placegetters were among swimmers who opted to test the conditions.

"We were lucky enough to have a practice swim yesterday. Interestingly enough, a lot of the girls chose not to swim," Johnson said.

"I am guessing it was water quality, but I'm not really sure (why they didn't practice) to be honest. The AOC provided us with great medical advice and the best care for that. 

"We were confident to get in. I think the girl who got gold, from the Netherlands, and myself, were out there really testing the course and testing the current. I think that's something that really paid off."

Johnson led for nearly half of the race but fell behind after a canny overtake from van Rouwendaal in the final stretch.

"I pushed that pace along at the start. I know a lot of those girls were struggling to keep up, so I knew they would be hurting just as much as me," she said.

"The whole left side is now pretty sore. That's my dominant swimming side.

"I'll definitely feel it for the next few hours and probably tomorrow as well. It's always worth it when you come away with a silver medal."