Vote For Valerio, Italy's Sportsman Of The Year

2009 world 25K champion Valerio Cleri is up for nomination for the Sportsmen of the Year in Italy.

Valerio has always been in the top echelon of professional marathon swimmers, but he truly showed his heart of a champion at the 2009 World Swimming Championships.

Since finishing a close fourth in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a disappointing fourth place in the 10K race at the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome, Valerio came back strongly in the very tough, wavy, fiercely fought 25K race at the 2009 World Swimming Championships to win in dramatic fashion.

For his dramatic win, he was not only nominated for the World's Great Open Water Swim of the Year award, but also for Italy's Sportsmen of the Year.

Valerio is known to train extraordinarily hard, is totally committed to the sport and is a humble champion and fine representative of marathon swimming.

So far, Valerio is following behind Edward and Francesco Molinari from golf (32% of the total vote to date), Roberto Cammarelle from boxing (25%), but ahead of Valentino Rossi from motorcycling (19%) and Andrea Baldini from fencing (3%). Valerio currently has 20% of the total vote.

We encourage the global swimming community to show our support for Valerio and vote for him online here.

Vote online here.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Swimming's Popularity On TV

We had the distinct pleasure of watching the 2009 FINA World Swimming Championships in person and on the high-definition programs broadcast by Rai TV throughout Europe.

It seems that we were not the only people watching on TV. The cumulative TV audience in Europe for the 2009 Championships reached nearly 1.5 billion viewers.

During the the championships between July 17 and August 2, 1,498,684,619 individuals watched 2,470 programs over 1,804 hours of transmission with a 17.8 peak rating. The Italians watched the most (605 million), with the programs also popular in Germany (271 million), France (254 million), Spain (174 million) and Great Britain (87 million).

The 5K, 10K and 25K races were held in Ostia Beach under the very able leadership of Andrea Prayer who had to deal with the entire venue being wiped out by high waves and strong winds, but the open water competition closed with a very exciting and challenging 25K race won by Valerio Cleri (see photo on left).

The next FINA World Swimming Championships will take place in Shanghai between July 16-31, 2011.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Great Open Water Swims of 2009

Every year, hundreds of thousands of individuals of every age, ability, background attempt and complete open water swims in every conceivable body of water around the world.

2009 was no different - none of which could be possible without the tremendous help of escort boat pilots, crews, kayakers, race organizers and volunteers.

You can vote on the World's Greatest Open Water Swims of 2009 in a poll here. Below are our choices with the full realization that the season (English Channel and Southern Hemisphere) is not yet over and many others have different opinions. Your comments and suggestions are greatly welcomed.

1. 120K Lake Taupo triple-crossing in January in New Zealand. Women's team (33 hours 33 minutes) included Julie Bradshaw/Lucy Roper (England), Michelle Macy (USA), Barbara Pellick/Penny Palfrey (Australia) and Heather Osborn (New Zealand). Men's team (33 hours 31 minutes) included Steve Junk/Chris Palfrey/Stephen Spence/Dougal Hunt (Australia) and Mark Cockroft (New Zealand).

Significance: Established longest continuous relay swim conducted under English Channel rules by all-star teams of 12 established marathon swimmers.

2. Ram Barkai and Andrew Chin's 2.2K winter swim in Lake Zurich in February in Switzerland.

Significance: No wetsuits in 39°F (4°C) water with 32°F (0°C) air temperature and 19°F (-7°C) wind chill.



3. Riaan Schoeman’s one-second victory over Chad Ho and 13 Olympians in South Africa's Midmar Mile in February.

Significance: Time was fastest among nearly 19,000 entrants in the world's most popular competitive open water race.






4. Penny Palfrey’s 14 hour and 51 minute 70K (43-mile) Alenuihaha Channel crossing from the Big Island of Hawaii to Maui in March.

Significance: first female crossing of the treacherous, shark-infested, very difficult channel in Hawaii.



5. Melissa Gorman’s 5K victory at the World Swimming Championships in July.

Significance: Exciting last-stroke upset victory over the most dominant professional marathon swimmer of the current era.


6. Angela Maurer’s 25K victory at the World Swimming Championships in July.

Significance: 35-year-old mother beats the world’s best professional marathon swimmers under tough conditions.






7. Tasmin Powell’s 11 hour 34 minute 70K Round Jersey circumnavigation in July.

Significance: 15-year-old home-grown swimmer from Jersey swims quickly while battling elements and seasickness.


8. Chantelle Le Guilcher’s 10 hour 37 minute 70K Round Jersey circumnavigation in July.

Significance: 15-year-old home-grown swimmer from Jersey swims quickly while battling elements.




9. Keri-Anne Payne’s 10K victory at the World Swimming Championships in July.

Significance: Led nearly the entire way against the toughest and fastest female field assembled in 2009.






10. Thomas Lurz’s double victory in the 5K and 10K races at the World Swimming Championships in July.

Significance: Two victories came back-to-back over a 2-day period against the world’s fastest men.


11. Petar Stoychev’s 6 hour 58 minute victory in the 32K Traversée Internationale du lac St-Jean in July.

Significance: 9th consecutive victory in the world's most famous professional marathon swim against the world's fastest marathon swimmers.





12. Valerio Cleri’s 25K victory at the World Swimming Championships in July.

Significance: Hard-fought comeback victory under tremendous pressure in his home country against world’s fastest marathon swimmers.





13. Rostislav Vitek’s crossing of the English Channel in 7 hours and 16 minutes in August.

Significance: Fastest English Channel crossing of 2009, fourth fastest solo single-crossing of all time.



14. Jade Scognamillo’s 19 hour 59 minute 52K crossing of Lake Ontario in August.

Significance: 15-year-old becomes the youngest person to ever swum Lake Ontario, Canada.



15. Kane Radford’s victory in the US$10,000 RCP Tiburon Mile in September.

Significance: Fast 1-mile swim against several Olympic gold medalists and world champions in a winner-take-all sprint in cold San Francisco Bay.





16. Andrew Smilley’s overall 107th placing among nearly 800 swimmers in the RCP Tiburon Mile in September.

Significance: Special Olympian from Cayman Islands placed 3rd in the 19-29 age in the non-wetsuit division in the San Francisco Bay in his first cold-water experience.

17. Camlough Team's Guinness World Record for the Longest Continuous Open Water Relay Swim of 685.5K (426.5 miles) in northern Ireland.

Significance: Preparation and logistics of organizing 220 swimmers to swim non-stop over 232 hours and 52 minutes (9 nights and 10 days).

18. Liz Fry’s 11 hour 41 minute reverse 48K circumnavigation of Manhattan Island in September.

Significance: Shattered the existing record of 17:48 which had only been done once before by a man (Kris Rutford in 1995).

19. Liane Llewellyn's 27 hour 35 minute double-crossing of the English Channel in August.

Significance: Resilience under extremely difficult conditions.







19. Lisa Cummins's 35 hour 31 minute double-crossing of the English Channel in September.

Significance: Amazing battle against time and elements in her first attempt in the English Channel.



20. Karen Rodgers' 10 hour 50 minute 21.5-mile crossing of Lake Tahoe in California in August.

Significance: Cold-water swim at 6,225 feet (1,897 meters) in altitude.



21. Patti Bauernfeind's 10 hour and 38 minute 21.5-mile crossing of Lake Tahoe in California in August.

Significance: Broke two-week-old record at 6,225 feet (1,897 meters) in altitude.



22. Julian Crabtree's 44-mile staged swim during the 4-part Great Swim series.

Significance: Started and finished every single heat of every 1-mile swim in 4 different lakes during the Great Swim series.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

World Championship Men's 25K Results

Rough seas call for hardy men. The world's best marathon swimmers ventured out at Ostia Beach this Saturday morning in Rome and battled amongst themselves and the windy, wavy elements.

Valerio Cleri, who placed a close fourth in the men's 10K, captured the first swimming gold for Italy with a strong closing sprint over Trent Grimsey of Australia who swam all three events in these championships (the 5K on Tuesday, the 10K on Wednesday and the 25K on Saturday). Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia, a former 5K and 10K world champion, broadened his reportoire to the 25K, taking third.

The final results are as follows:

GOLD: Valerio Cleri (ITA), 5:26:31.6
SILVER: Trent Grimsey (AUS), 5:26:50.7
BRONZE: Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS), 5:29:29.3
4. Brian Ryckeman (BEL), 5:30:18.4
5. Loic Branda (FRA), 5:30:20.9
6. Bertrand Venturi (FRA), 5:30:22.9
7. Brendan Capell (AUS), 5:30:27.5
8. Rostislav Vitek (CZE), 5:32:38.8
9. Simon Tobin Daignault (CAN), 5:34:48.2
10. Libor Smolka (CZE), 5:35:06.4
11. Sean Ryan (USA), 5:36:22.2 - shown above
12. Andrea Volpini (ITA), 5:36:37.9
13. Manual Chiu (MEX), 5:39:12.1
14. Rodrigo Elorza (MEX), 5:43:26.4
15. Danill Serebrennikov (RUS), 5:46:21.7
16. Arseniy Lavrentyev (POR), 5:48:43.0
17. Saleh Mohammad (SYR), 5:49:30.6
18 Adel El-Beharya (EGY), 5:54:00.3
Evgenji Popacev (MKD), OTL
Mohammed Jassim Alghareeb (KSA), DNF
Alex Meyer (USA), DSQ - shown above
Mazen Metwaly (EGY), DNS
Diego Nogueira Montero (ESP), DNS

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

World Championship Men's 10K Race Results

The confirmed men's 10K race results from the 2009 World Championships are as follows:

Gold: Thomas Lurz (GER), 1:52:06.9
Silver: Andrew Gemmell (USA), 1:52:08.3
Bronze: Fran Crippen (USA), 1:52:10.7

4. Valerio Cleri (ITA), 1:52:11.4
5. Brian Ryckeman (BEL), 1:52:13.1
6. Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE), 1:52:13.6
7. Francisco Jose Hervas (ESP), 1:52:14.7
8. Trent Grimsey (AUS), 1:52:14.8
9. Mazen Metwaly (EGY), 1:52:14.9
10. Evgeny Drattsev (RUS), 1:52:15.0
11. Luis Escober (MEX), 1:52:18.0
12. Jakub Fichtl (CZE), 1:52:24.0
13. Csaba Gercsak (HUN), 1:52:28.0
14. Arseniy Lavrentyev (POR), 1:52:28.2
15. Diego Nogueira Montero (ESP), 1:52:37.1
16. Antonio Fokaidis (GRE), 1:52:41.3
17. Daniel Fogg (GBR), 1:52:44.3
18. Sergey Bolshakov (RUS), 1:52:44.5
19. Ivan Lopez (MEX), 1:52:45.9
20. Julien Codevelle (FRA), 1:52:47.2
21. Rhys Mainstone (AUS), 1:52:50.2
22. Allan Do Carmo (BRA), 1:52:52.2
23. Chad Ho (RSA), 1:53:13.1
24. Bertrand Venturi (FRA), 1:53:14.5
25. Adel El-Behary (EGY), 1:53:52.1
26. Simon Tobin-Daignault (CAN), 1:53:53.9
27. Christian Reichert (GER), 1:54:09.9
28. Michael Dmitriev (ISR), 1:54:29.6
29. Petar Stoychev (BUL), 1:54:50.8
30. Jan Posmourny (CZE), 1:55.17.4
31. Ventsislav Aydarski (BUL), 1:55:53.5
32. Simone Ercoli (ITA), 1:56:46.3
33. Daniel Viegas (POR), 1:58:21.3
34. Craig Hamilton (GBR), 1:58:55.7
35.Kurt Niehaus (CRC), 1:59:25.0
36. Ivan Enderica (ECU), 1:59:29.4
37. Philippe Dubreuil (CAN), 1:59:38.9
38. Marcelo Romanelli Soares (BRA), 2:00:42.2
39. Esteban Enderica (ECU), 2:01:48.8
40. Josip Soldo (CRO), 2:08:07.2
41. Tomislav Soldo (CRO), 2:12:19.8
42. Juan Prem Biere (GUA), 2:20:48.2
Elgun Babayev (AZE), DNF
Rusian Bolshakov (AZE), DNF
Angel Moreira (VEN), DNF
Igor Chervynskiy (UKR), DSQ
Igor Snitko (UKR), DSQ
Yvan Hernandez (VEN), DSQ

World's Aquatic Stars Descend Upon Rome

Dozens different national teams arrived in Rome today for the upcoming World Swimming Championships. Street posters and large billboards throughout the airport and city greeted the world's best aquatic athletes to the Eternal City.

One billboard often seen showed Italian open water swimming star Valerio Cleri.

Valerio was the 2008 FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit champion.

But the Italians also had a great way to combine their ancient history with contemporary swimming - see street poster on left.

With the expected weather to be sunny and warm throughout the 5K, 10K and 25K championships, the competition should be hot.

Before young Australian open water swimming star Danielle DeFrancesco departed from Brisbane with her teammates this morning, she echoed the sentiments of many other athletes who will be experiencing their first major international championship, "It's my first world championships and I just want to enjoy the experience. I have no big plans, I just need to swim a good time."

For fans of pool swimming, water polo, diving, synchronized swimming and open water swimming, Rome will be providing a good time over the next 3 weeks. We will be twittering live from Rome and Ostia Beach where the open water events will be held (http://twitter.com/swimopenwater).

Michael Phelps or David Davies or Both?

When we think about the 2012 London Olympics 10K Marathon Swim, we wonder if the Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association is going to have a top medal contender to compete against the world's best open water swimmers.

David Davies of the UK, Thomas Lurz of Germany and Valerio Cleri of Italy may be among the favorites to medal in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim, but Shaune Fraser is the type of swimmer with a great background who can be a real contender.


Shaune Fraser? Who's he? Never heard of him?

In the pool swimming world, the University of Florida junior just won two events at the NCAA Swimming Championships. Shaune? is originally from George Town in the Cayman Islands


Shaune has blazing speed: 19.3 in the 50-yard freestyle, 42.4 in the 100-yard freestyle, 1:31.7 in the 200-yard freestyle and 1:40.7 in the 200 butterfly. So if he were able to stay close to the leaders, he would be more than enough to claim a gold medal.

Shaune has the Olympic experience having represented the Cayman Islands in two Olympics (2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing) despite being only 20 years old.

Shaune has the endurance having swum a 4:26.2 in the 500-yard freestyle and a 3:55.0 in the 400-yard individual medley.

But, what about the open water?

Shaune has done numerous ocean swims since the age of 8 and can navigate, draft and position himself in the open water with the best of them, albiet he has not had the experience in dealing with the best FINA open water swimmers.

Without a doubt, he certainly has the potential.

"[The 2009 NCAA Championships] was Shaune’s breakthrough meet," said his father Jim Fraser. "His 200–yard fly was a big drop in time for him and was probably a bigger achievement than his silver medal at the Pan Am Games two years ago. The [Cayman Islands] community has been very much behind Shaune since he was born. They've watched him grow up and monitored his progress since he started sea swims at the age of eight and been very supportive over the years, following his results. Shaune’s so pleased. He now has a level of confidence whereby he knows he can compete against the world’s best. In my opinion he showed a level of mental toughness that he has never shown in the past. He now has a mental edge which shows some maturity."

So who does Shaune race in the 2012 London Olympics: Michael Phelps in the 200 freestyle and 200 butterfly ... or David Davies in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim?

Lower photo by Peter Bick for Swimming World Magazine.

Defending the Home Surf

One of the best national open water teams in the world is Italy. Italy has a great mix of proven veterans like Valerio Cleri and strong up-and-comers like Rachele Bruni (shown on left) who compete under the guidance of national team coach Massimo Giuliani.

Over the year, many of Italy's best open water swimmers have grown up swimming along the shorelines of their country, including Marco Formentini. After the 2001 World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka where he medaled, Japan, Marco said, "We knew we had an edge racing in the sea rather than in a river or a lake".

His teammate Luca Baldini added, "The sea was a bit rough; under those conditions I knew that I would have to get away very fast and be in the lead. Those behind you catch more waves."

One of the great female Italian swimmers of the past was Viola Valli (shown on left after winning the world 25K race) who often went all out from the start and held on for the finish. "I've told myself: 'I have to bring them (her opponents) to hell and leave them there.' I knew I should swim at a pace they couldn't keep up. I was succesful although I happened to nearly go to hell myself."

At the upcoming World Swimming Championships in Rome, the Italians will be competing on their home surf. Like the tough Russian Open Water National Championships in the Black Sea in June, Italy will also hold very competition World Swimming Championships qualification races in June.

The winners of the 5K, 10K and 25K races will automatically qualify for the Italian team while a second swimmer for each event will be selected by Coach Giuliani with the advice of the national technical staff.

The Italian national championships and world championship qualification races include the 5K race in Piombino on June 7th, the 10K race in Lerici on June 2nd and the 25K race in Formia on June 14th. The Italians also hold additional national championships including the 3-5K race in Milan on June 21 and the individual 5K time trial in Trasimeno Lake on June 28th.

Photos of the Italian team from the 2008 European Open Water Swimming Championships by Giorgio Scala.

Italian Statement and Brazilian Battle in Santos

Italy men accomplished an unusual sweep at the first stop on the 2009 FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit.

Simone Ercoli (shown on left) won in 2:05:44.0 over countrymen Luca Ferretti (2:05:49.0) and Valerio Cleri (2:05:54.0) in the Santos 10K World Cup. With the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome, the tough Italian men sent out a statement that they will be a force to reckon with on their home surf.

Olympic 10K Marathon swimmers Allan do Carmo of Brazil and Luis Escobar of Mexico were only seconds behind in a typically close finish.

On the hometown front, the Brazilian women went 1-2 on the Brazilian leg of World Cup circuit. Ana Marcela Cunha (shown on left) withstood the pressure of swimming in front of thousands of patriotic fans and got the upper hand in her ongoing battle over Brazilian rival and fellow São Paulo resident Poliana Okimoto.


Ana Marcela won won this week in 2:09:49.0 over Poliano's 2:09:58.0. Nadine Pastor of Germany (shown below) was a close third in 2:10:00 over a stellar field. Olympian Martina Grimaldi of Italy was fourth just one second after Nadine with other Olympians behind (Angela Maurer of Germany in sixth, Kristel Kobrich of Chile in seventh and Cassandra Patten of England in seventeenth.

Similar to the top British pair of open water swimmers (Keri-Anne Payne and Cassandra Patten) and another top German pair of swimmers (Angela Maurer and Britta Kamrau), it seems the Brazilian pair help push each other to success. "It is difficult to help one another [in a race]," said Poliana. "I find that no country's teammates offer that help to others."

But it seems that the rivalry between Poliana and Ana Marcela is especially intense as both were apparently injured due to contact during the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Beijing. "It was an absence of our vision, our wanting to stay in the front of the another one, but we finished by losing the [lead pack]," admitted Ana Marcela. "We are friends, but when we enter in the water, each swimmer is by herself. It is obvious that each of us wants [to win]. Each competition is a challenge."

The Maratona Aquática Internacional de Santos (International Aquatic Marathon of Saints) was also held in conjunction with the FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup when hundreds of amateur open water swimmers joined in the 1K, 2K and 4K races. Santos definitely kick-started what looks to be a great 2009 World Cup season.

Final Men's Results:
1 Simone Ercoli, Italy: 2:05:44:16
2 Luca Ferretti, Italy: 2:05:49:51
3 Valerio Cleri, Italy: 2:05:54:38
4 Allan Do Carmo, Brazil: 2:05:57:47
5 Luis Escobar, Mexico 2:05:59:53
6 Nicola Bolzonello, Italy 2:06:01:17
7 Daniel Delgadillo, Mexico 2:06:02:31
8 Ivan Lopez, Mexico: 2:06:05:50
9 Sebastien Fraysse, France: 2:06:09:25
10 Loic Branda, France: 2:06:30:36
11 Bertrand Venturi, France: 2:06:44:45
12 Simone Rufino, Italy: 2:06:48:19
13 Julien Saivage, France: 2:06:53:22
14 Arseniy Lavrentyev, Portugal: 2:06:57:45
15 Marcelo Romanelli Soares, Brazil: 2:06:59:43
16 Daniel Fogg, Great Britain: 2:07:02:14
17 Carlos Eduardo Pavao, Brazil: 2:07:05:26
18 Robin Den Boer, Netherlands: 2:07:37:13
19 Rodrigo Elorza, Mexico: 2:07:59:06
20 Petar Stoychev, Bulgaria: 2:08:05:32
21 Rok Kerin, Slovania: 2:08:09:31
22 Victor Simoes, Brazil: 2:08:13:48
23 Fabio Carlos Lima, Brazil: 2:08:17:37
24 Josip Soldo, Croatia: 2:13:29:13
25 Matheus Evangelista, Brazil: 2:13:31:44
26 Tomislav Soldo, Croatia: 2:18:15:32
27 David Davies, Great Britain: 2:19:02:26
28 Andrew Azevedo, Brazil: 2:19:27:36
29 Linecker Denardi, Brazil: 2:19:30:44
30 Samir Barel, Brazil: 2:19:41:07

Final Women's Results:
1 Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil: 2:09:49:10
2 Poliana Okimoto, Brazil: 2:09:58:23
3 Nadine Pastor, Germany: 2:10:00:12
4 Martina Grimaldi, Italy: 2:10:01:54
5 Giorgia Consiglio, Italy: 2:10:03:10
6 Alice Franco, Italy: 2:10:03:21
7 Angela Maurer, Germany: 2:10:05:35
8 Kristel Kobrich, Chile: 2:10:06:23
9 Daniela Inacio, Portugal: 2:10:16:11
10 Andreana Cimmarusti, Italy: 2:14:34:19
11 Rachele Bruni, Italy: 2:14:55:47
12 Maaike Waaijer, Netherlands: 2:15:18:37
13 Karla Sitic, Croatia: 2:15:22:58
14 Oddette Saldivar, Mexico: 2:15:26:09
15 Pamela Engel, Brazil: 2:18:10:44
16 Monick Avelino Perez, Brazil: 2:20:54:11
17 Cassandra Patten, Great Britain: 2:21:47:50
18 Lily Anzueto, Mexico: 2:28:15:46

Measuring Marathon Runs and Marathon Swims

We were discussing differences between the worlds of marathon swimming and marathon running with double Olympic medalist Bob Seagren who runs numerous large marathon runs and open water swims.

Measuring a marathon running course is done by counter hooked to a bicycle (see photo to left). The precise calculation of the 42.195K or 26 miles 385 yards and is a time-consuming process.

Notwithstanding the popular GPS (global positioning systems) used by travelers worldwide, GPS is not used in the marathon running world. Details of the process used are found here. In the U.S., courses are certified by USA Track & Field authorized measurers.



The tools that are used include a bicycle, a Jones Course Measuring Device (shown above), a steel tape, a spring scale, a thermometer, notebook and pencils, a pocket calculator, lumber crayon or chalk, nails and hammer, spray paint, masking tape and bike tools to repair a bicycle tire flat.

A certified marathon running course is measured by the Jones Counter that counts every time the bicycle tire moves forward. Temperature readings are taken to make sure the steel tape is of the proper measurement and the bicycle is precisely calibrated four times along the course to assure an accurate measurement. The measurements can even be affected by changes in air pressure and air leaks in the bicycle tire.

A methodology that can be greatly appreciated by open water swimmers, the course is measured as the shortest possible route that a runner could run. That practically means that the course is measured diagonally between corners when crossing a street and measured straight through consecutive turns in the road.

After everything has been measured, re-measured, documented and certified by the state certifier, the marathon run course is certified for 10 years – but only if there is no road construction that may affect the course or changes to the course, start or finish lines.

So how does the marathon swimming world measure its courses?

In the Netherlands, according to Richard Broer, webmaster of the comprehensive Open Water Swimming in Europe website, writes that it is mandatory to use official landmarks to measure the distance of the swims, although GPS is a less expensive alternative.

In Australia, sanctioned 5K and 10K swims must be set by GPS. But, according to Greg Towle, Australia’s National Open Water Team Coach, sanctioned national championships in Australia have been recently held in rowing courses which makes course set-up straightforward, but the course is still checked by GPS.


According to Dr. Jim Miller, U.S. Masters Swimming national championship events are measured by GPS with the exception of the USMS cable swims that are surveyed. These cable swims are conducted on a ¼-mile cable course. The course is initially surveyed and an immovable post or pylon is set in the lake bed with the outside of the post being the actual ¼-mile course. In the open water races in the State of Virginia, the post is permanent, but some races in other locations replace the post every year with the need to resurvey every year.

The cable (with buoys) is placed in the water four days before the event and is tightened daily until the event, since it loosens up as the water soaks in the cable. Turn buoys are placed at the turn (inside the post) and mid-course.

Jay Thomas, a long-time open water referee with USA Swimming and FINA, reminds us that USA Swimming rules state, "[The race] course shall be measured as accurately as possible with the available navigational or survey equipment." According to Jay, many race directors plan their race course on a chart, or more recently, with Google Earth. Once the course has been set, the officials check it with a GPS and make adjustments as necessary to yield the appropriate distance.

USA Swimming has additional guidance for the Quarter Mile Straightaway courses (i.e., the cable swims). The allowable tolerance of the cable is ±6 inches measured from the outer edge of the turn point.

On the international professional marathon swimming circuit, FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup and FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix races are measured by GPS.

According to Philip Rush, races in New Zealand use both GPS and a map system that is more accurate than GPS.

The distances of many races in the oceans are affected by tides. The distances of some open water races held in dams, reservoirs and lakes are affected by the amount of rainfall (or snowfall) before the race. Tides and (a lack of or an abundance of) rainfall can change the starting and finish lines of open water races.

We wonder how local races worldwide measured. Are there any unique methodologies in measuring your local race?

Photo shows Valerio Cleri in the Singapore FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup.

Deciding the Future of Elite Open Water Swimming

The FINA’s Technical Open Water Swimming Committee members are gathering in Kuwait this week to discuss and decide a variety of critical issues to better govern, judge, administer and promote the sport of open water swimming.

Their discussions and decisions will have a significant impact on FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit, the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix and the FINA World Swimming Championship events. The proposed rules changes were previously submitted by various national swimming federations and are now being considered by the Committee through careful deliberation and discussion.

The members include Chairman Sid Cassidy of the USA, Vice Chairman Ronnie Wong Man Chui of Hong Kong, Honorable Secretary Shelley Taylor-Smith of Australia, Valerijus Belovas of Lithuania, Flavio Bomio of Switzerland, Alan Clarkson of Great Britain, Jorge Delgado Panchana of Ecuador, Dr. Mohie Wahid Farid of Egypt, Paulo Frischknecht of Portugal, Tomas Haces German of Cuba, Dennis Miller of Fiji and Vladimir Srb of the Czech Republic. The FINA Bureau Liaison is Nory Kruchten of Luxembourg. The Coaches' Commission Liaison is Osvaldo Arsenio of Argentina and the Athletes' Commission Liaison Daniel Kowalski of Australia.

Photo taken by Giorgio Scalia of Valerio Cleri at the 2008 European Open Water Swimming Championships in Croatia.

Open Water Swimming in the Guinness Book of Records

The 1.2K Lorne Pier to Pub set an official Guinness World Record in the category of "most participants in an open water race" when 3,071 swimmers completed the 1998 Pier to Pub. The event has since gone on to increase its participants, but capped its maximum number at 4,000 starting in 2001.


Today, in western Australia, the inaugural 1K ECU West Coast 1000 World Record Swim will attempt to break that record by getting to the 5,000-participant mark.


Whatever event sets (or keeps) the world record, it will be hard-pressed to keep up with the amazing popularity and growth of the 36th Halfway Telkom Midmar Mile in the picturesque Kwa Zulu Natal Midlands in South Africa in February 2009.

The Midmar Mile has reached unprecedented heights by adding 5K, 10K and 25K races to the traditional 1-mile race in the Midmar Dam.

In addition to South African stars, like Chad Ho, a 2008 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee, a talented group of international stars will head over to the Midmar Mile to win the prestigious event.

Beijing Olympic 10K Marathon Swim bronze medalist and another World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee Thomas Lurz will lead the international charge that will include Beijing Olympic 10K Marathon Swim silver medalist and another World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee David Davies, woman’s Olympic 10K Marathon Swim silver medalist Keri-Anne Payne, Olympic 10K Marathon Swim bronze medalist Cassandra Patten, European 5K champion Spyridon Gianniotis, Hungarian Olympian 10K’er Csaba Gercsak, 2008 FINA World Cup series champion Valerio Cleri, Italian Olympian Martina Grimaldi, Italian pro swimmer Alice Franco, 7th-place finisher in the Olympic 10K Brian Ryckeman, Nika Kozamernik from Slovenia and Darija Pop from Montenegro.

For more information on the Midmar Mile, click here.

Upper photo of Spyridon Gianniotis by Giorgio Scala of Deep Blue Media. Lower photo of Keri-Anne Payne and Olympic 10K Marathon Swim bronze medalist Cassandra Patten.