A Crowning Achievement - The Triple Crown

Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

The Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming is defined as the completion of the English Channel, the Catalina Channel and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim. 34 people to date have completed a Triple Crown. But just as the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing can be defined differently, there are definitions for the different Triple Crown.

The Irish Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the North (Irish) Channel, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Kiwi Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Cook Strait, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Southern California Triple Crown is defined as the completion of one of the Santa Barbara Channels, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Northern California Triple Crown is defined as the completion of a swim between the Farallon Islands and San Francisco, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Hawaiian Triple Crown is defined as the completion of one of the Hawaiian Island Channels (e.g., Moloka’i Channel), the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Japanese Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Tsugaru Channel, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The African Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Strait of Gibraltar, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Australian Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Rottnest Channel, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Argentinian Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Maratón Internacional Hernandarias – Parana, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Italian Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Canadian Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Traversée Internationale du lac St-Jean, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

Another Canadian Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Lake Ontario crossing, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The South African Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Cape Town Swim-to-False Bay, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Macedonian Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Ohrid Lake Swimming Marathon, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Greek Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Messinian Gulf Swimming Marathon, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Swiss Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the International Self-Transcendence Marathon Swim, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Isle Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Isle of Jersey circumnavigation, the Valentia Island circumnavigation and the Isle of Wight circumnavigation.

The Russian Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the St. Petersburg to Kotlin Island swim, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Florida Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Dutch Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Ijseelmeerzwemmarathon, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Peruvian Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Travesia En Aguas Abiertas Por la Ruta de Olaya, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Danish Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Beltquerung solo, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Croatian Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Faros Marathon Swim, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Hong Kong Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Clean Half Marathon Swim Solo, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The Alaskan Triple Crown is defined as the completion of the Pennock Island Challenge Solo, the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

But the traditional Triple Crown will remain the New York Triple Crown with the English Channel, the Catalina Channel and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim as its component swims.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association