The Daily News of Open Water Swimming

Be A Hero, Always Willing, Always Ready

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Thu, 16 May 2019 18:26:00 +0000

Courtesy of Steven Munatones.

Three years ago, I collapsed in my bathroom in the morning. Fortunately - real fortunately - my wife and children were home. No one had left for school yet.

My son Skyler was getting ready before going to Huntington Beach High School. As usual, he anticipated this day was going to be a normal day for him: head off to school, eat lunch with his teammates and buddies, go to water polo practice, come home, eat dinner, study and then sleep.

Same ol', same ol'.

But I unexpectedly collapsed that morning because my heart suddenly stopped.

Medically speaking, I experienced ventricular fibrillation arrest, atypical thrombus (clot) and a myocardial infarction in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. Known as the widowmaker, this condition can be particularly lethal because of the location and extent of the blockage of the blood flow to my heart.

The blockage stifles oxygen which then led to an abnormal heart rhythm known as ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest. There was no heartbeat and no breathing.

"I first heard gurgling, then a loud sound of something or someone falling down hard in his bathroom," recalled my wife. "Our dog Leo started barking a kind of bark that I had never heard before. Skyler came running down as I called 911."

Skyler started hands-only chest compressions (CPR) on my chest as the 911 operator talked him through the process. I remember none of this, but it was a day that my family can never forgot and later told me. I do not remember anything two days before this episode and I remember nothing five days afterwards.

There was no hesitation in Skyler's emergency actions. He had never taken first aid or CPR classes before - but he had seen CPR being performed on TV. There was an immediate need to keep the blood pumping through my body and to my head, especially with no breath and no heart beart.

With his father, unexpectedly down and out on the first floor of his home, Skyler immediately took action as my wife remained on the telephone with the 911 operator, talking through her tears.

Skyler's hands-only CPR saved my life. Literally. He did not worry that he was not certified. He did not hesitate because he had never done CPR before.

He did not panic; he performed. He did not hesitate; he was heroic.

Photo above shows Skyler Munatones at the 2018 NCAA Final Four water polo semifinal game playing against 2016 USA Olympian Ben Hallock from Stanford University, published in Swimming World Magazine.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

The Lake Tahoe Season & Sanctioning

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Thu, 16 May 2019 16:55:00 +0000

Courtesy of Suzie Dods, Lake Tahoe Open Water Swimming Association.

The Lake Tahoe Open Water Swimming Association is a chapter of the Northern California Open Water Swimming Association.

The Northern California Open Water Swimming Association is a governing body that sanctions swims across Lake Tahoe and in San Francisco Bay.

The sanctioned courses of the Lake Tahoe Open Water Swimming Association include:

*Round-Trip Angel Island, a 16.2 km technically challenging swim accomplished by only 12 persons
*21.3-mile Lake Tahoe Length Length
*12-mile Lake Tahoe Width True Width
*10.5-mile Lake Tahoe Vikingsholm

Completing the three Lake Tahoe swims will earn swimmers the Lake Tahoe Triple Crown™ issued by the Lake Tahoe Open Water Swimming Association.

The members of its board of directors includes Patrick O’Malley Daly, Suzie Dods, Suzanne Heim-Bowen [shown above], Sylvia Lacock, Ranie Pearce, Bryan Temmermand, Michael Tschantz-Hahn, and Steve Walker.

Contact swim@norcalopenwater.org.

For more information, visit Northern California Open Water Swimming Association or its Facebook page here.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Blacks Can't Can't Swim

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Thu, 16 May 2019 02:57:00 +0000

Courtesy of Ed Accura, London, UK.

A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim is a documentary film that showcases how British hip-hop artist Ed Accura ventures forward and continues his efforts to learn to swim.

Directed by Mysterex, A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim chronicles Accura’s experiences in learning how to swim while addressing typical stereotypes and modern myths that have been perpetuated about black people and swimming, and how those factors play into Accura’s own anxiety and borderline trauma. The film also lays out social reasons behind why drowning affects black communities at disproportionate rates.

A 2017 study by Sport England found that white children in Britain are three times more likely to know how to swim than children of color. A 2014 CDC study found that black children aged 5-19 in America drown at a rate over five times greater than that of white children.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

A Cross-River Challenge, Like In Centuries Past

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Wed, 15 May 2019 21:41:00 +0000

Courtesy of Global Swim Series, Dnipro River, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Dmytro Polupan, General Manager at Legendary Swim Series, tells of the Cossacks who have swum in and across the Dnipro, the biggest and longest river in Ukraine since the 15th century. "There are so many beautiful, tragic and heroic legends about [these swimmers]. On July 13th, more than 500 people - heroes like the Cossacks of previous centuries - will swim across the Dnipro River along one of its widest places."

Polupan, together with Oleksiy Syutkin and Kostyantyn Fedoriv of the Legendary Swim Series, organize the Dnipro International Swim Marathon, a 5-race event held on July 13th in the Dnipro River in Ukraine.

The distances include a 750m Kids race, a 3 km Sprint race, a 5 km Hero race, a 10 km Legend race, and the 2x5 km Relay.

For more information on the newest Ukrainian stop on the 2019 Global Swim Series, visit here.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Rick Walker On Open Water Swimming In Ghana

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Wed, 15 May 2019 04:37:00 +0000

Courtesy of WOWSA, Rick Walker, Accra, Ghana.

Rick Walker was the head coach and clinician at the recent FINA Open Water Coaches Clinic held in Accra, Ghana.

The Olympic 10K Marathon Swim referee and long-time head USA Swimming national team coach recalled his experience, "I will always admit that I too learn from these experiences. It was a wonderful time with 25-30 beginner level coaches who were passionate about learning and eager to get into coaching.

Clinics like these always remind me that I am in a profession that does not leave out the one who asks the questions, inquires as to 'How do you do that?'

It also shows me that there are plenty of patriots from around the world who simply are proud of who they are. My hosts were some of the most welcoming, kind and giving individuals that I have ever encountered. At the end of the clinic, the students gave me a gift of a woven pullover from various tribes in Ghana. One coach gave me a hand-stitched backpack and a tribal drum.

I am proud of the Ghana coaches who shared their lives, their stories, and their passion during my visit. They made me feel like family and that is what I will remember and cherish most.

Also to President of Ghana Swimming, Theophilus Edzie, who was very gracious in his invitation and has a vision that is full of potential."

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Yasunari Hirai, Emma Leu Win, Set Record In Stubenbersee

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Wed, 15 May 2019 04:28:00 +0000

Courtesy of WOWSA, Stubenbersee, Stubenberg, Austria.

Yasunari Hirai is on a winning streak through Europe. His latest victory was at the 3.8 km Apfelland Schwimm Marathon Stubenbergsee in Stubenberg, Austria - and was also a new course record.

He narrowly beat fellow pro swimmer David Brandl who later went on to win th 5 km bonus swim in 56:53.

Emma Leu from Vienna narrowly missed the course record as the fastest women of the 3.8 km race and also won the 1:05:41 in the 5 km bonus race.

On May 11th, more than 200 swimmers kicked off the open water season in Stubenbersee located in the warmest climatic region of Austria.

Official Top 10 3.8 km Results:
1. Yasunari Hirai 43:01.71
2. David Brandl 43:03.71
3. Max Fischerlehner 46:43.63
4. Emma Leu 49:10.62 [first woman]
5. Viktoria Felföldi 52:54.96 [second woman]
6. Maximilian Murg 53:53:57
7. Norbert Nagl 54:03.76
8. Philipp Tiefenbrunn 54:10.27
9. Bernhard Sifferlinger 54:58.66
10. Michael Aigner 57:31.51

In the event 1.5 km race, Nikolas Dittrich set a new course record in 18:16. Unterberger Livia was the 4th overall and fastest woman in the shorter race.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Watch Marc-Antoine Olivier Win In Seychelles

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Tue, 14 May 2019 13:56:00 +0000

Courtesy of Colin Hill on Beau Vallon Beach in Seychelles.

Colin Hill captured Marc-Antoine Olivier's victory in a highlight reel of this weekend's FINA /CNSG Marathon Swim World Series 10 km race in Seychelles.

Official Results:
1 Marc-Antoine Olivier (France) 1:56:02.00
2 Nicholas Sloman (Australia) 1:56:04.10
3 Kristóf Rasovszky (Hungary) 1:56:04.30
4 Ferry Weertman (Netherlands) 1:56:04.80
5 Bailey Armstrong (Australia) 1:56:14.10
6 Kai Graeme Edwards (Australia) 1:56:24.70
7 Paul Cotter Hayden (Australia) 1:56:29.70
8 Matteo Furlan (Italy) 1:56:33.20
9 Yuval Safra (Israel) 1:56:38.70
10 Evgenii Drattcev (Russia) 1:56:59.60
11 Jiabao An (China) 1:57:00.60
12 Kirill Abrosimov (Russia) 1:57:10.50
13 Zhongyi Qiao (China) 1:57:13.70
14 Daniel Szekelyi (Hungary) 1:57:15.70
15 Allan do Carmo (Brazil) 1:57:18.60
16 Andreas Waschburger (Germany) 1:57:18.90
17 Chad Ho (South Africa) 1:57:21.00
18 Victor Colonese (Brazil) 1:57:22.10
19 Elliot Sodemann (Sweden) 1:57:24.80
20 Shahar Resman (Israel) 1:57:29.00
21 Nicholas Rollo (Australia) 1:57:37.50
22 Pepijn Smits (Netherlands) 1:57:43.50
23 Marcel Schouten (Netherlands) 1:57:43.90
24 Danie Marais (South Africa) 1:57:48.60
25 Mark Papp (Hungary) 1:57:54.80
26 Ziyang Zhang (China) 1:57:55.30
27 Peter Galicz (Hungary) 1:57:56.70
28 Yunze Wang (China) 1:57:57.60
29 Reilly Kennedy (Australia) 1:58:01.80
30 Dario Verani (Italy) 1:58:04.50
31 Christopher Jedel (Sweden) 1:58:09.70
32 Shuyi Liu (China) 1:58:57.00
33 Phillip Seidler (Namibia) 1:58:58.80
34 Idan Mordel (Israel) 2:02:00.20
35 Gong Cheng (China) 2:04:05.90
36 Levente Selmeci (Hungary) 2:06:12.60
37 Simon Bachmann (Seychelles) 2:10:21.60
38 Damien Payet (Seychelles) 2:20:15.80
DNF Christian Reichert (Germany)
DNF Ahmad Samara (Qatar)
DNF Mohamed Mahmoud (Qatar)
DNF Alain Vidot (Seychelles)

Copyright © 2019 by Colin Hill Swims

Watch Arianna Bridi Win In Seychelles

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Tue, 14 May 2019 13:55:00 +0000

Courtesy of Colin Hill on Beau Vallon Beach in Seychelles.

Colin Hill captured Arianna Bridi's victory in a highlight reel of this weekend's FINA /CNSG Marathon Swim World Series 10 km race in Seychelles.

Official Results:
1 Arianna Bridi 2:01:33.90
2 Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil) 2:01:34.10
3 Lara Grangeon (France) 2:01:41.10
4 Rachele Bruni (Italy) 2:01:41.70
5 Aurélie Muller (France) 2:01:44.40
6 Kareena Lee (Australia) 2:01:55.70
7 Angélica André (Portugal) 2:01:57.00
8 Chelsea Gubecka (Australia) 2:01:57.10
9 Anna Olasz (Hungary) 2:01:57.50
10 Mackenzie Brazier (Australia) 2:01:57.90
11 Chloe Gubecka (Australia) 2:01:58.40
12 Esmee Vermeulen (Netherlands) 2:01:59.90
13 Fuwei Dong (China) 2:02:00.00
14 Samantha Arévalo (Ecuador) 2:02:00.70
15 Yawen Hou (China) 2:02:03.70
16 Reka Rohacs (Hungary) 2:02:04.10
17 Madisyn Armstrong (Australia) 2:02:05.50
18 Xin Xin (China) 2:02:23.60
19 Siyu Yan (China) 2:02:33.20
20 Mira Szimcsak (Hungary) 2:03:54.40
21 Onon Katalin Somenek (Hungary) 2:04:11.30
22 Luomeng Ren (China) 2:04:19.90
23 Alena Benesova (Czech Republic) 2:04:38.10
24 Jordan White (Australia) 2:04:43.40
25 Caroline Laure Jouisse (France) 2:05:16.80
26 Luca Vas (Hungary) 2:06:56.80
27 Aricia Peree (Brazil) 2:07:03.70
28 Ellen Olsson (Sweden) 2:07:31.40
29 Xu Chu (China) 2:09:09.70
30 Amica de Jager (South Africa) 2:13:42.00
31 Sofie Frichot (Seychelles) 2:30:29.90
DNF Nurayn Bagha (Kenya)
DNF Sacha Downing (Australia)

Copyright © 2019 by Colin Hill Swims

Marcos Díaz Up For Leading WADA

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Tue, 14 May 2019 13:29:00 +0000

Courtesy of World Anti-Doping Agency, Montreal, Canada.

Illegal drug taking in order to gain an unfair advantage among athletes at various levels remains a scourge on sports - including pool and open water swimming. Recently, an International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame honoree was stripped of his honor and an Olympic 10K Marathon Swim finalist was subsequently disqualified for taking illegal substances.

Fair-minded athletes, coaches and administrators would like athletes to compete on a level playing field, but this concept of fairness is occasionally abused and ignored.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. But it has had its own problems - both internal and external - to keep the world of sports clean and free from illegal drugs and substances.

Marcos Díaz, an International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame honoree from the Dominican Republic is in a political battle with a Polish runner Witold Banka to replace Craig Reedie and become the new president of the global organization.

But the vote on Reedie's successor has been formally postponed until November.

But insiders say that the 21 government representatives who sit on the WADA Executive Committee and Foundation board may select the new president this week between the two former athletes. Díaz has been the favored choice of the Americas while Banka is the nominee favored by European representatives.

Banka is youthful - at 34 - and a Polish minister of Sport and Tourism who medaled in the 4x400 relay at the 2007 world championships. Not quite as young at 44, Díaz has competed in hundreds of open water swims around the world and currently serves as the vice-minister of Sport and Tourism in the Dominican Republic and as a member of the WADA Executive Committee and Foundation board.

“I will always think as an athlete and when athletes don’t have the information, we are not capable of bringing our criticism to the place where decisions are made and we feel frustrated. When criticism happens, you need to hear,” Díaz explained in a Reuters interview. He also expressed frustration in regards to WADA's financial resources. "If we are regulating sport, a trillion dollar industry, close to US$40 million a year is not enough, especially compared to the salary of one Major League Baseball player I think definitely we’re in a moment in which I personally believe we’re going to be capable of defending the WADA everyone demands — a closer (together) WADA with greater reach.”

For more information about WADA, visit here.

Díaz is shown above at the United Nations where he was honored by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2010.

Update: On May 14, Bańka was selected to succeed Reedie as WADA President.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Above The Ramparts In Arabic, French, Russian

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Mon, 13 May 2019 21:09:00 +0000

Courtesy of Nejib Belhedi, Sfax, Tunisia.

Nejib Belhedi will release his autobiography, Above the Ramparts in the Arabic, French and Russian languages.

He explains the reason for the title, "The reason of the title of my book 'Above the Ramparts' is because I was effectively born 10 feet from one of the eastern guard posts of the Fort of Fire (Borj En Nar) at Sfax Médina. From the window of our house or from the guard post, my view navigates above the colossal rampart walls of Sfax."

Belhedi is planning to swim 141 km from the island of Lampedusa in Italy to the Mahdia coastline of Tunisia this coming September. He explains, "The unprecedented swim will be a symbolic crossing that will encourage the stream of immigrants from North Africa to the European continent to think about establishing peace and prosperity in their own native lands. The swim is in the reverse direction of the immigration flow and can symbolize a harmonious and global defense policy of Tunisia."

The former special operator with the Tunisian military is tough and hardened - and aims to swim for the longest period of time non-stop in the sea in history. "Divine power has gave me the energy and the ability to endure swimming non-stop many days in seas. It is the same divine power that support me to pull by swim boats and even a heavy ship weighting more than a thousand tons without any help."

The book describes his childhood to his military career and his marathon swimming career.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Arianna Bridi Wins FINA Race In Seychelles

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Mon, 13 May 2019 05:16:00 +0000

Race report courtesy of Colin Hill. Photo courtesy of Tracie May-Wagner on Beau Vallon Beach in Seychelles.

Arianna Bridi defended her title in the FINA /CNSG Marathon Swim World Series 10 km race in Seychelles today.

Colin Hill reported on behalf of FINA, "Perfect conditions greeted the women for their early morning race start in the beautiful resort of Beau Vallon on Mahe, the largest of the Seychelles islands.

Dolphins even joined the swimmers during the six-loop race."

The water temperature at 29°C (84°F) - similar to what the water temperature will be at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

33 women started racing which was twice as many as last year's race, a testament to the athletes' word-of-mouth positive reviews of the stunning location and excellent organization.

In the early stages of the race, swimmers swam tactically (i.e., slowly) in the warm water where eventual winner Bridi positioned herself at the back of the pack. Bridi, who arrived 10 days earlier with her Italian teammates to acclimatize to the warm-water conditions, said, “Yes, I wanted to start at the back and save energy drafting in the pack and then work my way forward when I was ready.”

Xin Xin from China led the pack from the front for the first three loops with Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil lurking nearby.

On the fourth loop, the pace increased when Aurélie Muller of France surged to front with Bridi making up a lot of ground. With Muller and Bridi pushing the pace, many swimmers feel off the faster pace.

Bridi, Muller, Cunha and Rachele Bruni were in the lead pack by loop five. On the last loop, Cunha and Muller moved into the lead with Italian swimmers Bridi and Bruni and two French swimmers Muller and Lara Grangeon following. With 500 meters to go, Cunha made a move with Bridi at her side, stroke for stroke right up to the finish where Bridi won by 0.2 seconds.

Bridi said, “This race was very important to me, in Doha [the first leg of the 2019 FINA CNSG Marathon Swim World Series] I didn’t have a very good race, so I was very happy to have a good result today. At the finish, I was next to Ana Marcela and I know she is a real champion and very good at sprinting, so I just had to push & push right till the end.”

Cunha said, “I liked the race a lot, last week I swam in the U.S. National Championships, so I was a little tired, but at the World Championship I will be swimming in the 5 km, 10 km and 25 km events so it is good preparation.”

Lara Grangeon said, “It’s my first podium at a FINA / CNSG Marathon Swim World Series event so I’m really very happy. It was a very good race, the first 5km I stayed with the group and then I worked to the front which was my strategy.”

Results:
1 Arianna Bridi 2:01:33.90
2 Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil) 2:01:34.10
3 Lara Grangeon (France) 2:01:41.10
4 Rachele Bruni (Italy) 2:01:41.70
5 Aurélie Muller (France) 2:01:44.40
6 Kareena Lee (Australia) 2:01:55.70
7 Angélica André (Portugal) 2:01:57.00
8 Chelsea Gubecka (Australia) 2:01:57.10
9 Anna Olasz (Hungary) 2:01:57.50
10 Mackenzie Brazier (Australia) 2:01:57.90
11 Chloe Gubecka (Australia) 2:01:58.40
12 Esmee Vermeulen (Netherlands) 2:01:59.90
13 Fuwei Dong (China) 2:02:00.00
14 Samantha Arévalo (Ecuador) 2:02:00.70
15 Yawen Hou (China) 2:02:03.70
16 Reka Rohacs (Hungary) 2:02:04.10
17 Madisyn Armstrong (Australia) 2:02:05.50
18 Xin Xin (China) 2:02:23.60
19 Siyu Yan (China) 2:02:33.20
20 Mira Szimcsak (Hungary) 2:03:54.40
21 Onon Katalin Somenek (Hungary) 2:04:11.30
22 Luomeng Ren (China) 2:04:19.90
23 Alena Benesova (Czech Republic) 2:04:38.10
24 Jordan White (Australia) 2:04:43.40
25 Caroline Laure Jouisse (France) 2:05:16.80
26 Luca Vas (Hungary) 2:06:56.80
27 Aricia Peree (Brazil) 2:07:03.70
28 Ellen Olsson (Sweden) 2:07:31.40
29 Xu Chu (China) 2:09:09.70
30 Amica de Jager (South Africa) 2:13:42.00
31 Sofie Frichot (Seychelles) 2:30:29.90
DNF Nurayn Bagha (Kenya)
DNF Sacha Downing (Australia)

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Marc-Antoine Olivier Wins FINA Seychelles Race

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Mon, 13 May 2019 05:13:00 +0000

Race report courtesy of Colin Hill, Beau Vallon Beach in Seychelles.

Marc-Antoine Olivier started the FINA /CNSG Marathon Swim World Series 10 km race in Seychelles at the back, but eventually ended on top of the podium.

Similar to the women’s race you had one of the main contenders sitting right at the back of the pack, with Ferry Weertman with his distinctive slow stroke rate looking at ease as he bid his time in the early stages.

Kirill Abrosimov of Russia led the pack early in the race while the usual top contenders Kristóf Rasovszky of Hungary and Olympic champion Ferry Weertman swam comfortably in their positions.

On loop two of six, Rasovszky swam to the front and started to pick up the pace. After Ferry made a move on loop four, Rasovszky, Nicholas Sloman of Australia and Olivier positioned themselves as the lead pack on loop five.

Olivier dropped the hammer on the last loop, dramatically increasing his pace by 90 seconds (first loop was completed in 19:54 while the last loop was swum in 18:24). He said, “It was difficult with the hot weather, I’m very happy to win. At the finish, I was thinking about my last heat swimming a 100-meter race and think about the pain in that race. The Seychelles is beautiful and yesterday I enjoyed myself swimming in the sea with many fish.”

Second finisher Sloman said, "These hot conditions really suited us Australians and you could see that with where we finished (four of the top 10). Coming into the finish line I wondered ‘How am I here?’ with the other top swimmers, but I just put my head down and went for it.”

Third-place swimmer Rasovszky commented, “It was a tough race. After the third lap, the pace picked up and it was hard to save energy for the finish, but I really wanted to get onto the podium, so I raced hard at the end.”

Official Results:
1 Marc-Antoine Olivier (France) 1:56:02.00
2 Nicholas Sloman (Australia) 1:56:04.10
3 Kristóf Rasovszky (Hungary) 1:56:04.30
4 Ferry Weertman (Netherlands) 1:56:04.80
5 Bailey Armstrong (Australia) 1:56:14.10
6 Kai Graeme Edwards (Australia) 1:56:24.70
7 Paul Cotter Hayden (Australia) 1:56:29.70
8 Matteo Furlan (Italy) 1:56:33.20
9 Yuval Safra (Israel) 1:56:38.70
10 Evgenii Drattcev (Russia) 1:56:59.60
11 Jiabao An (China) 1:57:00.60
12 Kirill Abrosimov (Russia) 1:57:10.50
13 Zhongyi Qiao (China) 1:57:13.70
14 Daniel Szekelyi (Hungary) 1:57:15.70
15 Allan do Carmo (Brazil) 1:57:18.60
16 Andreas Waschburger (Germany) 1:57:18.90
17 Chad Ho (South Africa) 1:57:21.00
18 Victor Colonese (Brazil) 1:57:22.10
19 Elliot Sodemann (Sweden) 1:57:24.80
20 Shahar Resman (Israel) 1:57:29.00
21 Nicholas Rollo (Australia) 1:57:37.50
22 Pepijn Smits (Netherlands) 1:57:43.50
23 Marcel Schouten (Netherlands) 1:57:43.90
24 Danie Marais (South Africa) 1:57:48.60
25 Mark Papp (Hungary) 1:57:54.80
26 Ziyang Zhang (China) 1:57:55.30
27 Peter Galicz (Hungary) 1:57:56.70
28 Yunze Wang (China) 1:57:57.60
29 Reilly Kennedy (Australia) 1:58:01.80
30 Dario Verani (Italy) 1:58:04.50
31 Christopher Jedel (Sweden) 1:58:09.70
32 Shuyi Liu (China) 1:58:57.00
33 Phillip Seidler (Namibia) 1:58:58.80
34 Idan Mordel (Israel) 2:02:00.20
35 Gong Cheng (China) 2:04:05.90
36 Levente Selmeci (Hungary) 2:06:12.60
37 Simon Bachmann (Seychelles) 2:10:21.60
38 Damien Payet (Seychelles) 2:20:15.80
DNF Christian Reichert (Germany)
DNF Ahmad Samara (Qatar)
DNF Mohamed Mahmoud (Qatar)
DNF Alain Vidot (Seychelles)

Photo above show chest tattoo of Marc-Antoine Olivier memorializing his bronze medal performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics with the Olympic rings, the Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado, and Sugarloaf Mountain.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Swimming In The 1870's In Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Mon, 13 May 2019 04:16:00 +0000

Courtesy of Tim Johnson, History of Open-Water Marathon Swimming.

Captain Tim Johnson, PE discusses pools in his book, History of Open-Water Marathon Swimming.

"The scene of the swimming bath in Paris is from the pages of Harper’s Weekly, drawn by Simon Durand. The pool is crowded so that you could surmise that the engraving is a compendium of scenes the artist saw over time.

Prominent is the swimming master on the left giving instruction to a young child. To his charge’s left in the water is another student using what appear to be water wings for support. Directly across the pool is another instructor with his charge in the water.

In the illustration of a swimming bath on the Seine in Paris, published 1873, shows the security of the rope to which their youngsters are tethered. This is one-on-one swimming instruction. Behind the swimming instructor are two children having a great deal of fun pushing each other into the water and off to their right come two other urchins running.

About the tank are patrons shrouded in robes, most standing, but on the right are two gentlemen evidently warming up and drying off after their bath. The diving platform looks to be about 3 meters in height. Notice the forward dive captured in mid-flight indicating that this tank has some depth. Two young boys are playing leapfrog at the pool end while off over their shoulders is seen either a distant attached room or mirrors.

Lap swimming appears non-existent, but the one gentleman seen with the robe gathered about his waist near the child sprawled upon the deck in the foreground probably wants to go back in, but finds the pool too crowded for his tastes.

There are lifeguards present; they are the individuals with the kerchief tied about their neck, two of them are the instructors and a third is seen at the base of the diving platform exactly where you would expect to see one stationed.

In the water, the patrons are floating, swimming, splashing (one fellow is kicking with his feet), and conversing about the pool edge. And just maybe, someone is swimming freestyle on the far side approaching the steps, but the image is so small that it could be sidestroke. It is hard to tell. What is not hard to tell is that there are no women in the drawing. They come on another day."

This look back at the swim environment, other information about early attempt to teach swimming, plus hundreds of swim stories can be found in History of Open-Water Marathon Swimming available at Amazon here. A donation will be made by author Captain Tim Johnson, PE to help support the activities of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

The Remarkable, Adventurous Life Of Paul Boyton

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Sun, 12 May 2019 15:16:00 +0000

Courtesy of Captain Tim Johnson, PE, author of History of Open-Water Marathon Swimming.

Paul Boyton (often misspelled Paul Boynton) was born in 1848 in Rathangan, County Kildare, Ireland. Known as the Fearless Frogman, he dramatically spurred interest in swimming in the open water through his exploits and aquapreneurial successes - and even inspired Captain Matthew Webb to swim across the English Channel in 1875.

Boynton built Paul Boyton's Water Chutes park in Chicago, opened a New York saloon called The Ship on Broadway, and help found the Luna Park amusement park at Coney Island. Largely due to his crossing of the English Channel in a buoyant suit, Boyton was later inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame [see bio here].

Captain Tim Johnson, PE wrote about his exploits in History of Open-Water Marathon Swimming:

"Onto the swimming scene in the late 19th century appeared two men who by their daring, courage, and fortitude set the standards for open water swimming. The first golden era of swimming was about to begin in England. This era began with two successful crossings and an argument as to what constitutes a swim [Editor's Note: the same sort of argument continues to this day].

Captain Paul Boyton, age 26, of the Atlantic Life-saving Services of the United States announced his intention of crossing the English Channel from Dover to Boulogne. He was demonstrating his newly invented life-saving dress: Merriman’s Patent Waterproof Life-Saving Apparatus.ⁱ

His purpose was to prove to the maritime nations that the means and science were within their reach to provide for the safety of mariners upon whose efforts their own greatness derived.ⁱⁱ This statement, made a week prior to his attempt, put this crossing in a category apart from swimming. In fact, his press release makes no mention of swimming the channel, only crossing it.

The press referred to this experiment as a voyage. Capt. Boyton expressed a wish in his press release to conduct a “fair, square, and above-board” test of his life-saving dress by means of a practical demonstration. The undertaking was under the auspices of the Humane Society of Boulogne of France.ⁱⁱⁱ

What is this life-saving dress that Capt. Boyton was testing?

The London Times described it as a suit made of Indian rubber that can be inflated via some tubes. The dress floated the user and allowed the use of a paddle. It was an airtight and waterproof suit. On the day of the swim, Boyton arrived at the dock dressed in his inflatable suit with a suit of blue surge underneath and large woolen stockings carrying an oar. He also carried a foghorn hung around his neck, a brandy flask in a waist pocket, and a large knife; safely ensconced under his dress was a packet of letters, “the Boyton mail for the Continent” which he intended to deliver.^iv

Additionally, there were provisions for hoisting a sail about the size of a large handkerchief by means of a small mast placed in a socket attached to the foot and controlled by lanyards attached to the suit.^v Both feet were outfitted with these sockets. Undoubtedly, this was the most unique floating contraption and it was a wonder that he could inflate it in a few minutes. The paddle was used for propulsion and Capt. Boyton would stroke along both sides, as he lay on his back in a skillful employment of the paddle.

In his second attempt, a small screw propeller was brought along and could be affixed by means of hoops to his torso and thighs so that while lying prone in the water, he could propel himself. It is unclear if this means of propulsion was used in his second attempt. Most likely, it was found deficient and discarded as reports of his progress make no mention of its usage.^vi It is probably the secret dream of every distance swimmer to have a little propeller attachment by which they could facilitate their journey by any means other than swimming. Capt. Boyton seems to have thought of them all."

This swim, many other marathon and channel swimming stories, and much more about the background and history of the sport around the world can be found in Johnson's History of Open-Water Marathon Swimming available at Amazon here.

A donation will be made by Captain Tim Johnson, PE to help support the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.

In his autobiography, The Story of Paul Boyton, he wrote about his 'voyages on all the great rivers of the world, paddling over 25,000 miles in a rubber dress in a rare tale of travel and adventure, thrilling experiences in distant lands, among strange people'.

The contents of his page-turning book [see cover on left] give a hint as to his unique lifestyle, mindset and remarkable range of exploits:

Chapter I. On the Allegheny. First Attempt at navigation. The Grey Eagle. Voyage on a coal fleet.

Chapter II. College days. Bruce's dam. The Fort of the Wild Geese.

Chapter III. In the U. S. Navy. A voyage to the West Indies. Diving for treasure.

Chapter IV. Wrecking with Captain Balbo. In the hull of a slaver. A swarm of sharks. Joining the Mexican revolutionists.

Chapter V. Entering the life saving service. Grateful people. In the Franco-Prussian war. Failure of the Cuban expedition.

Chapter VI. As a submarine diver. The Diamond fields of Africa. A floating Hell. An escape at Malaga.

Chapter Vll. The rubber dress. Overboard from the steamer Queen. Landing on the coast of Ireland.

Chapter VIII. Arrival in Queenstown. The first lecture. In Dublin. Appearance before Queen Victoria.

Chapter IX. Voyage across the English Channel. Pigeon dispatches. Landing in England.

Chapter X. In Germany. A voyage down the Rhine. Through the whirlpool of Lurlei. The press boat.

Chapter XI. A short run on the Mississippi. The funny Negro pilot. Down the Danube and the Po. Attacked by fever. Lucretia Borgia's castle.

Chapter XII. Voyage on the Arno from Florence to Pisa. Narrow escape over a fall. Down the Tiber to Rome. Across the bay of Naples. Knighted by King Victor Emmanuel.

Chapter XIII. The Straits of Messina. Attacked by sharks. Whirlpools of Scylla and Charybdis. Lake Trasimene.

Chapter XIV. Quick voyage down the Rhone. The smugglers' chain. The gambling palaces of Monte Carlo. Down the Loire. In the Quicksands.

Chapter XV. On the mysterious Tagus from Toledo to Lisbon. Over great falls and through dark canons. Ancient Moorish masonry. The villainous brigands.

Chapter XVI. From Europe to Africa, across the Straits of Gibraltar. Preparing for sharks. Contrary currents and heavy overfalls. Landing at Tangier.

Chapter XVII. Paddling in the ice floes on the Allegheny. Down the Ohio to Cairo. Queer characters. On the Mississippi. Strange sights and sounds. The comical darkies. Alligators. "Dead man in a boat."

Chapter XVIII. Voyage on the Merrimac. Some peculiar people. A rough trip down the Connecticut. Lost in a Snow Storm. A winter in Florida.

Chapter XIX. Off for South America. An officer in the Peruvian service. Placing torpedoes. Caverns of the sea. Inca Tombs. An escape from prison and rescue from a lonely island.

Chapter XX. The Upper Mississippi. The German Doctor and the negro boatman. Arrival at Cairo. Hunting and fishing.

Chapter XXI. The longest voyage. Down the Yellowstone and Missouri. Thrilling adventures through the western wilds. In the tepees of the Indians. Caving banks, snags and mud sucks. Camp of the Rustlers. Arrival in St. Louis.

Chapter XXII. Hunting in Southern bayous. An interesting voyage down the Arkansaw. Haytien insurgents. Down the Sacramento. A night on Great Salt Lake. Down the Hudson. In the ice on Lake Michigan. Catching seals.

Chapter XXIII. Boyton to-day.

_______________________
ⁱ A long-distance swimmer becomes a national hero, briefly, Bruce Heydt, British Heritage magazine, September 2004
ⁱⁱ London Times, 7 April 1875
ⁱⁱⁱ Ibid
^iv London Times, 12 April 1875
^v Ibid
^vi London Times, 28 May 1875

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Ciara Doran Heads South

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Sun, 12 May 2019 02:29:00 +0000

Courtesy of Federação Portuguesa de Natação.

Ireland's Ciara Doran, the 3-time winner of the Global Swim Series, is heading south to Portimão, Portugal to compete in the Portuguese Campeonato Nacional 10 km race on May 18th with the following swimmers:

* Goncalo Gualberto Barbara (Rio Maior)
* Bruno Rey Barros (Sporting)
* Dany Pedro Caille (Braga)
* Tiago Filipe Campos (Rio Maior)
* Sergio Eduardo Dias (Fluvial Portuense)
* Ciara Doran (Ireland)
* Maria Joao Fernandes (Fluvial Portuense)
* Bernardo Neves Ferreira (Cova da Piedade)
* Rafael Lourenco Gil (Sporting)
* Diogo Coelho Jose (Columbofila Cantanhedense)
* Diogo Barbosa Nunes (Porto)
* Irene Peinado Morales (C.N. Bahia De Cadiz)
* Jose Pedro Sampaio (Fluvial Portuense)

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association

What Could He Create, What Is He Envisioning?

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Sat, 11 May 2019 18:24:00 +0000

Courtesy of Jheeva Prakaash.

Jheeva Prakaash says that he will launch is video about swimming in a direction opposite to the flow of the water after his trailer reaches 1000+ views.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association
From World Open Water Swimming Association's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

Warming Up To The Sport, Swimming In Seychelles

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Sat, 11 May 2019 17:30:00 +0000

Courtesy of Colin Hill of FINA on Beau Vallon Beach in Seychelles.

The second leg of the FINA /CNSG Marathon Swim World Series 2019 will be held in Seychelles tomorrow and show on FINA TV.

The 10 km race is located 1,500 km east of Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia on the mainland in East Africa and is organized for 38 women and 43 men from 19 countries including Ana Marcela Cunha who has been traveling the world from her native Brazil to the recent USA Swimming national championships in Miami, Florida.

Race director David Vidot of the Seychelles Swimming Association [shown with Ana Marcela Cunha] said, “The prestigious FINA / CNSG Marathon Swim World Series gives us a chance to showcase our wonderful island, promote tourism and encourage swimmers to travel to our world class open water swimming destination.

We also wanted to develop our own swimmers by having them compete on a world stage. Some of our Seychelles swimmers have already competed in international open water swimming events. This, along with FINA running an Officials School, has catapulted open water swimming into the public eye.

Finally it is about increasing fitness and wellbeing by promoting the sport of swimming, whilst Victoria has a 50m public swimming pool. We are also running public mass participation open water swims and using the elite swimmers to meet some schools to promote activity and the sport of open water swimming.”

Colin Hill described the course and ambiance found in Seychelles that consists of 115 granite and coral islands in his video above.

Chief Executive of the Seychelles Sports Council Giovanna Rousseau summarized the event, “The FINA / CNSG Marathon Swimming World Series is the biggest competition we have ever hosted in the Seychelles and we feel very proud.”

Women's Start List:
1. Federica Dionisi (Italy)
2. Madisyn Armstrong (Australia)
3. Xu Chu (China)
4. Martina de Memme (Italy)
5. Esmee Vermeulen (Netherlands)
6. Chloe Gubecka (Australia)
7. Amica de Jager (South Africa)
8. Aricia Peree (Brazil)
9. Alena Benesova (Czech Republic)
10. Caroline Laure Jouisse (France)
11. Reka Rohacs (Hungary)
12. Samantha Arévalo (Ecuador)
13. Aurélie Muller (France)
14. Nurayn Bagha (Kenya)
15. Siyu Yan (China)
16. Fuwei Dong (China)
17. Arianna Bridi (Italy)
18. Yawen Hou (China)
19. Mackenzie Brazier (Australia)
20. Angélica André (Portugal)
21. Chelsea Gubecka (Australia)
22. Onon Katalin Somenek (Hungary)
23. Sofie Frichot (Seychelles)
24. Ellen Olsson (Sweden)
25. Luomeng Ren (China)
26. Xin Xin (China)
27. Jordan White (Australia)
28. Lara Grangeon (France)
29. Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil)
30. Kareena Lee (Australia)
31. Rachele Bruni (Italy)
32. Mira Szimcsak (Hungary)
33. Anna Olasz (Hungary)
34. Sacha Downing (Australia)
35. Luca Vas (Hungary)

Men's Start List:
1. Kirill Abrosimov (Russia)
2. Elliot Sodemann (Sweden)
3. Ahmad Samara (Qatar)
4. Simon Bachmann (Seychelles)
5. Christian Reichert (Germany)
6. Paul Cotter Hayden (Australia)
7. Gong Cheng (China)
8. Allan do Carmo (Brazil)
9. Marc-Antoine Olivier (France)
10. Damien Payet (Seychelles)
11. Peter Galicz (Hungary)
12. Daniel Szekelyi (Hungary)
13. Levente Selmeci (Hungary)
14. Shahar Resman (Israel)
15. Matteo Furlan (Italy)
16. Andreas Waschburger (Germany)
17. Ziyang Zhang (China)
18. Evgenii Drattcev (Russia)
19. Danie Marais (South Africa)
20. Shuyi Liu (China)
21. Reilly Kennedy (Australia)
22. Phillip Seidler (Namibia)
23. Yunze Wang (China)
24. Alain Vidot (Seychelles)
25. Victor Colonese (Brazil)
26. Zhongyi Qiao (China)
27. Ferry Weertman (Netherlands)
28. Christopher Jedel (Sweden)
29. Yuval Safra (Israel)
30. Idan Mordel (Israel)
31. Chad Ho (South Africa)
32. Pepijn Smits (Netherlands)
33. Dario Verani (Italy)
34. Nicholas Rollo (Australia)
35. Nicholas Sloman (Australia)
36. Kai Graeme Edwards (Australia)
37. Jiabao An (China)
38. Bailey Armstrong (Australia)
39. Kristóf Rasovszky (Hungary)
40. Marcel Schouten (Netherlands)
41. Mark Papp (Hungary)
42. Mohamed Mahmoud (Qatar)

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association
From World Open Water Swimming Association's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

"Being In Water Gives Me Freedom," Beth French

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Sat, 11 May 2019 14:59:00 +0000
Photos courtesy of David Leyland, Oceans Seven.

"Beth French set out to do what may have been logistically impossible," commented Steven Munatones.

"Planning and completing the Oceans Seven - crossing the English Channel between England and France, North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland, Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco, Catalina Channel between Santa Catalina Island and Southern California mainland, Molokai Channel between Molokai and Oahu in Hawaii, Tsugaru Channel between Hokkaido and Honshu in Japan, and Cook Strait between North Island and South Island in New Zealand - in one calendar year is bordering on the impossible, although swimmers like Beth are capable of doing it physiologically. But anything she can imagine in the open water, she had to take that first stroke.

And she did."

The documentary highlights the difficulties and obstacles that stood in the way of achieving her dream: the five years of preparation, the finances required, and the organization of escort pilots, crews, sponsors and dryland supporters while she continued to support her autistic son and face her own lifelong battle with M.E. (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).

Produced by Nick Read and directed by Stefan Stuckert, the film opens tonight in the UK.

The upcoming screenings in the UK include:

May 11th: Preview + Q&A at Odeon Wimbledon at 8:30 and 10:30 pm

May 12th: Preview + Q&A at Vue Islington at 4:00 and 6:00 pm

May 12th: Preview + Q&A with Beth French at Scott Cinema, Bristol at 6:00 and 8:00 pm

May 14th: Preview at Vue Portsmouth at 7:00 and 9:00 pm

May 15th: Preview + Q&A with director Stefan Stucker at Hackney Picturehouse at 6:00 and 8:00 pm

May 15th: Preview + Q&A with Beth French at Vue Cardiff at 7:00 and 9:00 pm

May 16th: Preview + Q&A with Beth French at The Plaza (WTW Truro) at 8:00 and 10:00 pm

May 16th: Preview + Q&A with director Stefan Stucker at Odeon Brighton at 8:30 and 10:30 pm

May 17th: Preview at Vue Norwich at 7:00 and 9:00 pm

May 17th: Preview at Odeon Birmingham Broadway Plaza at 8:30 and 10:30 pm

May 17th: U.K. Premiere + Q&A with Beth French and director Stefan Stucker at Odeon Taunton at 8:30 and 10:30 pm

May 18th: Screening + Q&A with Beth French and director Stefan Stucker at Merlin Cinemas Wellesley Wellington at 8:00 and 10:00 pm

May 19th: Screening at Vue Cramlington at 4:00 and 6:00 pm

May 19th: Screening at Greenwich Picturehouse at 6:00 and 8:00 pm

May 19th: Screening at Odeon Salisbury at 6:00 and 8:00 pm

May 19th: Screening + Q&A with director Stefan Stucker at The Little Theatre Cinema, Bath at 8:00 and 10:00 pm

May 21st: Screening + Q&A with director Stefan Stucker at Vue Manchester Printworks at 7:00 and 9:00 pm

May 22nd: Screening + Q&A with director Stefan Stucker at Odeon Belfast at 6:00 and 8:00 pm

May 22nd: Screening + Q&A with Beth French at Vue Exeter at 7:00 and 9:00 pm

May 23rd: Screening + Q&A with director Stefan Stucker at The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal at 8:00 and 10:00 pm

May 23rd: Screening at Odeon Bournemouth BH2 at 8:30 and 10:30 pm

May 23rd: Screening at City Screen, York at 9:30 and 11:30 pm

May 24th: Screening + Q&A with director Stefan Stucker at Vue Edinburgh Omni at 7:00 and 9:00 pm

May 24th: Screening at Vue Lancaster at 7:00 and 9:00 pm

May 25th: Screening + Q&A with director Stefan Stucker at Vue Glasgow Fort at 7:00 and 9:00 pm

June 1st: Screening at Odeon Braehead at 8:30 and 10:30 pm

For more information, visit here.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association
From World Open Water Swimming Association's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

Ram Barkai On Shimmer On Superhumans

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Sat, 11 May 2019 13:39:00 +0000

Courtesy of Superhuman Showdown.

Ram Barkai, chairman of the International Ice Swimming Association, was featured on the special Cold Endurance episode on Shimmer on the Discovery Channel's Superhuman Showdown.

The 61-year-old South African, with 11 Ice Miles and 14 Ice Kilometers under his swim cap, has trained himself to control his physiological and psychological reactions to extreme cold water that greatly impressed the doctors and judges of the Superhuman Showdown - but was no surprise to the growing number of Cold Members and Ice Members of the International Ice Swimming Association.

The Superhuman Showdown is a TV program that investigates people with unique abilities that extend far beyond that of ordinary humans. Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Heather Berlin, brain surgeon and neuroscientist Rahul Jandial, M.D., Ph.D., and exercise physiologist Professor Greg Whyte OBE PhD DSc asked a number of remarkable individuals - including Barkai - to their laboratory so they could examine the physical and mental composition of each individual to determine the source of their superhuman skills that includes speed, strength, endurance, brain power, skill, or cold water thermogenesis in the case of Barkai.

The scientists will select the two most impressive individuals to go head-to-head in the final showdown.

For more information on the program, visit here.

Ram Barkai's Career Ice Miles:
1. 1.43 miles on 31 January 2009 in Lake Zurich, Switzerland in 4.0°C water, 0.0°C wind chill, in 43 minutes 0 seconds
2. 1.0 mile on 17 July 2010 in Fraserburg, South Africa in 4.5°C water, 5.0°C wind chill in 33 minutes 0 seconds
3. 1.0 mile on 23 July 2011 in Fraserburg, South Africa in 5.0°C water, 10.0°C wind chill in 28 minutes 59 seconds
4. 1.0 mile on 4 January 2012 in Loch Faskally, Scotland in 2.0°C water, 0.0°C wind chill in 28 minutes 3 seconds
5. 1.0 mile on 15 July 2012 in Fraserburg, South Africa in 1.70°C water, -5.0°C wind chill in 31 minutes 33 seconds
6. 1.0 mile on 31 January 2013 in Lake Holborough, Kent, UK in 3.5°C water, 0.0°C wind chill in 31 minutes 14 seconds
7. 1.0 mile on 23 March 2013 in Murmansk, Russia in 0.0°C water, 0.0°C wind chill in 32 minutes 43 seconds
8. 1.03 miles on 31 December 2014 in Vltava River, Branik, Prague, Czech Republic in 4.6°C water, -2.0°C wind chill in 30 minutes 0 seconds
9. 1.0 mile on 31 December 2015 in the Eyjafjörður, Iceland in 4.63°C water, -15.0°C wind chill in 32 minutes 18 seconds
10. 1.0 mile on 12 June 2017 in Lake Baikal, Russia in 4.7°C water, 17.0°C wind chill in 31 minutes 45 seconds
11. 1.03 miles on 22 June 2017 in Svalbard fjord, Arctic Sea in 4.61°C water, 0.3°C wind chill in 28 minutes 16 seconds

Ram Barkai's Career Ice Kilometers:
1. On 11 January 2015 at 1st Aqua Sphere Ice Swimming Championships in Lake Wöhrsee, Burghausen, Germany in 17 minutes 20 seconds in 4.8°C water, 0.0°C wind chill
2. On 20 March 2015 at IISA 1st World Championships in Lake Semenovskoye, Murmansk, Russia in 16 minutes 39 seconds in 0.08°C water, -5.0°C wind chill
3. On 19 December 2015 in River Labe Czech Ice Swimming Championships in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic in 17 minutes 59 seconds in 4.7°C water, 7.0°C wind chill
4. On 10 January 2016 at Aqua Sphere Ice Swimming Championships in Burghausen, Germany 17 minutes 28 seconds in 3.9°C water, 0.0°C wind chill
5. On 23 January 2016 at Polish Championships in Katowice, Poland 16 minutes 55 seconds in 2.0°C water, 0.0°C wind chill
6. 30 January 2016 at International Ice Swimming Championships in Ireland Wild Water, Armagh in 16 minutes 53 seconds in 4.5°C water, -8.0°C wind chill
7. On 7 August 2016 at IISA SA 2016 Championships in Afriski resort, Lesotho in 25 minutes 48 seconds in 4.0°C minutes, 5.0°C wind chill
8. On 6 January 2017 in 2nd Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere Championships in Burghausen, Bavaria, Germany in 16 minutes 58.85 seconds in 3.4°C water, -11.1°C wind chill
9. On 11 February 2017 in Ice Cup & Great British Ice Swimming Championships in The Cruin, Loch Lomond, Scotland in 22 minutes 8 seconds in 4.2°C water, 0.9°C wind chill
10. On 8 June 2017 in the Baikal Mile in Lake Baikal, Russia in 18 minutes 58.43 seconds in 4.6°C water, 22.0°C wind chill
11. On 7 January 2018 in Ice Swimming German Open in Veitsbronn, Germany in 17 minutes 36.30 seconds in 3.8°C water, 6.0°C wind chill
12. On 25 February 2018 in IISA GB Championships in Hatfield Outdoor Activity Centre, Great Britain in 16 minutes 13.44 seconds in 3.6°C water, 1.1°C wind chill
13. On 23 November 2018 in Antarctica Ice Swimming in Port Lockroy, Antarctica in 18 minutes 47.22 seconds in -1.2°C water, -7.6°C wind chill
14. On 18 March 2019 in IISA 3rd World Championships in Lake Semenovskoye, Murmansk, Russia in 17 minutes 32.61 seconds in 0.2°C water, -6.3°C wind chill

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association
From World Open Water Swimming Association's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

2019 Santorini Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Sat, 11 May 2019 04:56:00 +0000
Courtesy of Santorini Experience, Santorini Island, Greece.

The 5th edition of the Santorini Experience will be held on October 4th - 6th on Santorini Island in Greece.

Accommodation packages for the 2.4 km sea swim start at 170€ per person for 3 days that includes accommodation and ferry tickets. For more information visit here.

The video above shows 2016 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim silver medalist Spyros Gianniotis, 2-time Olympic silver medalist Jazz Carlin, top professional marathon swimmer Kelly Araouzou, International Marathon Swimming Hall of Famer Attila Manyoki, and European champion George Arniakos.

For more information, visit www.santorini-experience.com.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association
From World Open Water Swimming Association's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

The Lexie Kelly Signature Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Sat, 11 May 2019 04:05:00 +0000
Courtesy of Alex Young, Ryte Sport, California.

The Lexie Kelly worked with Alex Young, co-founder of Ryte Sport, to create the Lexie Kelly Signature Collection, a series of custom swimsuits designed and manufactured by Ryte Sport, a Southern California-based swimsuit manufacturer and designer.

The Lexie Kelly Signature Collection includes Neon Coral swimsuit and Deep Sea swimsuit.

The 32-year-old former professional marathon swimmer has done hundreds of open water swims ranging from 800 yards to 57 km. "My favorite distance is probably 5 km," said Kelly who described her swimming career with Ryte Sport:

Q1. When did you start swimming?

Lexie Kelly: I first started swimming when I was very young with swimming lessons, when I was 3 or 4 years old.

Then I started on a summer swim team when I was 8 years old in northern California. I started year-round swimming when I was 12 and haven’t stopped since.

Q2. What are you doing now in the sport?

Lexie Kelly: I focus mainly on coaching now, but I still swim nearly every day and try to keep in the best shape I can so I can still be competitive. As of now, my next event is the Flowers Sea Swim in the Cayman Islands in June where I will swim the 1 mile and 10 km races.

Q3. How do you prepare for open water swims?

Lexie Kelly: A lot of open water events that I go to are all dependent on the venue, atmosphere, and distance. They are all unique. Ideally, I like to get a warmup in, check out the buoys, course, and scene. I also have a little down time to change into a race suit, stretch, relax, talk to other swimmers, or maybe put my headphones on and listen to some music. If it is a longer race, I will be preparing my nutrition and talking to my coach, paddler, or whoever will be assisting me about a game plan.

Q4. What do you love about open water swimming?

Lexie Kelly: I love everything about the water and in particular, the open water. I have received many opportunities to swim in so many different types of bodies of water all over the world, rather than just swimming pools. Open water, to me, is more than just times and numbers; it is about an experience – the course, the currents, wind, waves, navigation, temperatures, water types (rivers, lakes, oceans), locations, the people, the aquatic life (fish, coral, shells, etc.) so the collection is inspired by those things.

Q5. What do you love about your responsibilities?

Lexie Kelly: The best advice that I have received is to follow your heart and be you. I get to do what I love on a daily basis all centered around the sport of swimming and piece it all together so my life never really feels like a job. Open water has brought me so many places and allowed me to meet so many like-minded, yet unique, people all over the world with the common interest of aquatics.

Q6. What do you do on a daily basis? What does an average day look like?

Lexie Kelly: On my days off, I end up doing what I would do for work. I love coaching, swimming, and being around the water. Outside of that, I am into anything active – I love my spin classes at SoulCycle, going on hikes, paddleboarding, running, yoga, group fitness classes. I also enjoy finding healthy lunch spots and boutique coffee shops.

An average day for me would be coaching a masters swimming workout in the morning, hopping in for a swim myself, then typically going to a spin class. I then go into SBR Sports, a swimming skincare, hair care company where I have been working for over the years. Then, I go back to the pool for more coaching and private lessons until the evening. Then I like my quiet time back at home. If I am finished early enough, I always try to catch the sunset from the beach.

Q7. What is your main focus in open water swimming?

Lexie Kelly: I am at the point in my career where I do open water events for fun. Of course, I love being competitive and still have an urge to do my very best, but I try not to put a ton of pressure on myself and just enjoy the experience. I have a huge passion for coaching and mentoring others and sharing the things that I have learned and had the opportunity to do, so that is my main focus.

Q8. How did you get into open water swimming?

Lexie Kelly: My first real step into launching my career for open water was meeting Steven Munatones training at 5 am at a small elementary school pool in Seal Beach, California. He is known around the world, has written books, helped promote the sport, etc. I am so blessed that I got to know him. He saw that I still had a passion for swimming even after I finished my college pool career so I had the opportunity to be his right hand man back in 2009. He has been my mentor, my coach, my boss, my guide all throughout this time and I cannot be more grateful to him. If it were not for those early morning swims before work and having the opportunity to meet him, I would not be where I am today. He showed me there is more to swimming than just a black line and I have gotten to see so much because of him.

Q9. What have been some of your most memorable open water swims?

Lexie Kelly: There are so many amazing experiences that I have had in my career. Several, where I have gotten to swim for a cause or charity that are memorable. One that stands out in my mind was Traversée Internationale du Lac Memphrémagog in Lake Memphremagog, a 34 km professional marathon race in Quebec, Canada where I dedicated it to my very first swim coach ever who had recently passed away. It was one of the hardest swims that I have done mentally. Getting through it and being able to finish a 7+ hour swim in honor of her was one of the most rewarding feelings that I ever had.

To shop the Lexie Kelly Signature Collection, visit here. Use LEXIE20 to receive a special discount.

To visit Ryte Sport, visit here.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association
From World Open Water Swimming Association's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

Swimmers' Achievements And Dreams In The Future

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Thu, 09 May 2019 07:43:00 +0000
Illustrations courtesy of Tim Urban of Wait But Why from Putting Time In Perspective.

Tim Urban, author, creator, illustrator of Wait But Why was discussing the development of mankind with Tim Ferris in his Tribe of Mentors podcast and entertainingly described the entire history of mankind as a 700-page book.

Urban observed that a child born 100 years ago, 500 years ago, 2000 years ago and even longer was as anatomically and physiologically prepared to deal with and survive life on Planet Earth as children are now.

"This is an interesting observation. This means that a woman who was born in 1900 or 1500 or 400 AD was theoretically capable, at least anatomically, to swim like Sharon van Rouwendaal or Sarah Thomas. That means a man born at the time of George Washington or at the time of Jesus was potentially physiologically capable of swimming like Kevin Murphy or Jordan Wilimovsky," pondered Steven Munatones.

"Discounting training methodologies, nutritional opportunities, the increased time of leisure, and other societal changes that occurred in the agricultural revolution and the industrial age, what things have fundamentally changed in and among humans?

We are currently in the Information Age and gradually experiencing the Imagination Age.

We are embarking in an age of massive and rapid societal changes, previously unattainable athletic performance and extreme human adventure where visionary swimmers literally think they can - and will - swim anywhere on Planet Earth. As the number of swimmers exponentially increase, there is also an increasing popularity among women of all ages.

It is collective vision and dreams of swimmers who congregate on social media and literally and figuratively meet and inspire each other on other interconnected platforms that is enabling swimmers to do things previously thought inconceivable.

What we will see over the next 100 years and beyond in the open water swimming world will shock - and please and motivate - us. For teenage swimmers, what they will achieve and experience in their lifetimes will be absolutely incredible."

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association
From World Open Water Swimming Association's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

Swims In Russia, China, Tibet, Japan With Alexander Brylin

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Thu, 09 May 2019 04:52:00 +0000
Courtesy of Alexander Brylin.

Alexander Brylin, president of Association of Cold Swimming in Russia, announced three upcoming open water swims in Russia, Tibet/China:

June 7th - 11th: 3rd Ice Swimming Festival Baikal Mile - 2019 in the Irkutsk region, the settlement of Sakhyurta, Lake Baikal, Russia.

The multi-race event includes 50m butterfly, 50m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, 100m, 500m, 4x250m freestyle relay, 1 km, 3 km, an Ice Mile and a Double Ice Mile across the Olkhon Gate.

June 29th - 30th: 500m International Swim across the Yellow River in the Yellow River, Jinhai Province, the city of Sui Hua, the foothills of Tibet, China. It is 2450 meters above sea level and is organized by the Beijing Central Sports Committee and the All-China Winter Swimming Association.

July 16th - 25th: International Swim across the La Perouse Channel, a 42 km relay between Sakhalin, Russia and Hokkaido, Japan across La Pérouse Strait (or the Sōya Strait).

For more information, contact akvais-sport@mail.ru.

But, historically speaking, there remains diplomatic issues that have yet to be resolved at the government levels between Japan and Russia. The two countries have yet to sign a peace treaty dating back to World War II. Under Prime Minister Abe, the Japanese government will pass upon a broad agreement regarding a World War II peace treaty when he and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Osaka, Japan in June. The ongoing impasse is due to the disagreement regarding the territorial issues over ownership of four small islands off Hokkaido that were taken over by the Soviet Union in 1945.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association
From World Open Water Swimming Association's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

How Swimmers Can Support, Inspire Each Other

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Thu, 09 May 2019 04:26:00 +0000

Courtesy of Swimming World Magazine.

The remarkable comeback of Maarten van der Weijden from having leukemia and losing half his body weight to becoming the 2007 FINA 25 km world champion and 2008 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim gold medalist was one of the most incredible stories in the history of open water swimming - and athletics for that matter.

He has described his mindset that helped him overcome cancer.

His subsequent rise to the pinnacle of open water swimming has been explained on TED Talks and in numerous motivational talks around the world, giving inspiration to innumerable people.

"I recalled his career and thought back on his legacy when I read about Japanese Olympic pool swimmer Rikako Ikee and her current fight with leukemia," said Steven Munatones. "The 18-year-old is one of the most successful pool swimmers with top-ranking times in the 50m, 100m, and 200m freestyle and 50m and 100m butterfly. The Japanese swimming community and her friends and fans were shocked when she announced that she had leukemia in February."

On her website, she posted a letter of appreciation after undergoing treatment and still hoping on representing Japan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “Honestly speaking, I sometimes become discouraged. However, I feel a surge of gratitude as a result of all the encouraging words I have received, and I promise myself I will not be defeated and will endure until I am able to overcome my illness.”

Ikee’s website is posted here.

Her English-language translation of her handwritten letter is below:

I am very appreciative of all the encouraging messages and letters I have received. Thank you so much.

My medical treatment is proceeding smoothly. My recent life, when my physical condition permits, has given me the opportunity to enjoy things that I was not able to do when I was swimming, such as enjoying coloring books and puzzles, and watching movies. When I look outside every day, I imagine how wonderful it will be to feel the fresh breeze of the season and to get wet in the rain. These are some of the things I look forward to doing after I am released from hospital. I expect this will be a prolonged period of hospitalization and treatment, however, I will stay positive by thinking about what I would like to accomplish and what I will be enjoying in the days to come.

Honestly speaking, I sometimes become discouraged. However, I feel a surge of gratitude as a result of all the encouraging words I have received, and I promise myself I will not be defeated and will endure until I am able to overcome my illness.

I would like to believe that I now understand, although maybe not fully, how athletes and those with the same illness or condition as myself feel. I will always keep in mind that I am not alone, and I would like you to do the same. We will persevere together.

I will try my best to be able to announce good news as soon as possible to everyone waiting for me to return. I am so appreciative of your continued support. Thank you.

May 8, 2019 Rikako Ikee

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association
From World Open Water Swimming Association's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

What Do You Save From A Major Open Water Swim?

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Munatones) — Thu, 09 May 2019 03:19:00 +0000
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

"With the rising popularity of tidying expert Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I wonder what memorabilia swimmers keep from their major channel swims and competitive events?," wondered Steven Munatones.

"Back in the 20th century, an era without digital cameras, iPhones, the Internet, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook or Instagram, many swimmers kept Polaroid photos, newspaper clippings, a pamphlet, a congratulatory telegram or hand-written letters, a pair of goggles or their swim cap from their channel swims or major competitions.

Perhaps they kept a rock from shore, their training logs or a signed certificate to jog their memories of an event they won or competed in or a marathon swim completed."

Some swimmers keep these momentos at their home, stored in their attics or basement, or perhaps their parents have their old articles stuffed in a box at their homes.

But with modern-day technology, a much more vast amount of information and details can be stored online and retained by swimmers, coaches, spouses, and parents.

Swimmers keep their swim photos, videos, commentaries, GPS start and finish coordinates, real-time weather and water temperature information, Google Earth course map, and memories archived online in blogs, websites, Facebook pages and in their laptops and smart phones. Many - or perhaps most - do not delete online messages, congratulatory texts or emails.

"It is so much easier to never get rid of your swim data now," observed Munatones.

"Imagine all the major open water swims and domestic and international competitions in the 19th and 20th centuries where very little or no information exists anymore. That history is lost forever.

But nowadays, we have a plethora of information and data that can potentially be archived forever."

Upper photo shows the finish of the Greece - Turkey Peace Swim in 2006. Middle photos shows Larisa Ilchenko, the 2008 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim gold medalist, and a winter swimmer. Lower photo shows Andrés Solioz and Giannis Kotsiopoulos.

Copyright © 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association
From World Open Water Swimming Association's Daily News of Open Water Swimming