EXCLUSIVE: $50,000 prize purse secured as Paris medallists eye Australian open-water swimming championships

Two of the three medallists in the women's marathon swimming at the Paris Olympics, one of whom is Italian, are set to hit the water in Busselton and race at an Australian open-water championships backed by a $50,000 prize purse.

Wide World of Sports can reveal Australian Moesha Johnson and Italian Ginevra Taddeucci, who won silver and bronze respectively in the women's 10km event in the River Seine, are both locked in to compete over 10km at the Australian open-water championships next Thursday.

Prizemoney wasn't up for grabs at last year's edition of the championships, also held in the Western Australian city of Busselton, but Wide World of Sports understands that a $50,000 prizemoney pool to be split between 20 athletes has been secured for this year's event.

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The winners of the men's and women's open 10km races will both pocket $8000, while second and third in each event will take home $6000 and $1500 respectively. The remainder of the prizemoney will be divided between the rest of the top 10 in each race.

Johnson is close friends with the woman who stood atop the podium in Paris, Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands, and although the Australian distance star couldn't lure the Dutchwoman into signing up for the WA event, she is awaiting eagerly a hard-fought contest with her Italian rival.

"I think it will be a tough race," Johnson told Wide World of Sports from a training camp in South Africa.

"Me and Ginevra have raced quite a few times now, and even since Paris we've had some more races.

"I think in open water you can never be confident because there's so many circumstances that come into play, and you've got different conditions in the water ... you've got other people at play, you've got currents, wind, et cetera.

"... I'm excited that she's here to race, and let's see what happens next week. It's a great way to start the season before the international circuit."

Only 3.1 seconds separated silver medallist Johnson and bronze medallist Taddeucci in the 10km race at the Paris Games.

All four Australian marathon swimmers who raced in Paris — Johnson, Chelsea Gubecka, Nick Sloman and Kyle Lee — will compete in Busselton.

Selection for September's world swimming championships, to be held in Singapore, is at stake.

"I was in everyone's ear about Busselton this year," Johnson said.

"I get really excited when people come to my country and race me in my home place because I'm always having to race over in Europe and far from home soil.

"I'm really passionate about trying to get people to come race in Australia and see my country. The places we've held [the championships], not just this year but in previous years, are pretty spectacular."