World Record 100K Relay Swim

In Orlando, Florida’s famous open water swimming Lake Cane, two groups of 50 open water swimmers each set a world record for a lake relay swim on September 13-14. The World Record Relay Swim was recognized by the Registry of Official World Records as the Longest Lake Open Water Swimming Relay.

Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

The World Record Relay Swim also helped raise funds to benefit the YMCA Aquatic Center and Family Center’s scholarship fund.

The two 50-person relays consisted of a men's team and a mixed team with 38 women and 12 men (5 of whom also swam on the men's team).

The ages of the swimmers ranging from 9 to 77 with each swimmer responsible for swimming 2 km as part of their leg. The men’s team finished their 100 km relay in 37 hours 6 minutes. The mixed team finished in 41 hours 15 minutes.

The men’s relay (in order) included Mike Marino, Tom Noonan, Skip Yonchik, Andrea Ugazio, Fred Ehmke, Rick Stafford, Mark Weeks, John Keen, Larry Peck, Scott Neumann, Mel Nash, Curtis Wagner, Kevin Anderson, Ben Ohe, Christoph Ohe, George Mann, Walter Caldwell, Tom Knapp, Bruce Atlee, Walter DiLoreto, Chris Gaw, Cleve Cooney, Chris Bolfing, David Tattersall, Trung Lively, Frank Wan, Mike Koenig, Chuck Tanner, Jerry Krannebit, Chris Scott, Hector Torres, James Hunter, Michael Napoli, Mark Myers, Gene Augustin, Joe Moletteir, Joe Furstace, Mark Dickie, Danny Ellis, Rolando Davis, Chris Iselin, Carlos Figueired, Justin Soto, Sean McCorma, Roy McConnel, John Meisenhe, Lucky Meisenheimer, Alan Lawson, Michael Rogers and Jake Meisenheimer.

One day before, Yuko Matsuzaki set the Longest Open Water Lake Swim as recognized by the Registry of Official World Records when she finished her solo 83K swim in Lake Cane in 33 hours and 23 minutes.

Upper photo shows 9-year-old Jake Meisenheimer who was the final swimmer on the men’s relay touching the finish board at the end of the relay.



Lower photos show the effects of the water on Matsuzaki's hands and feet after 33 hours in the water. A video of her 2007 World Record Lake Swim can be seen here.

Copyright by Open Water Source

Open Water Swimming Risk

In the race course of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix circuit in Chiapas, Mexico, there was a crocodile sighting near the incredibly scenic Sumidero Canyon (Cañon Sumidero).




The crocodile was sighted by Yuko Matsuzaki of Japan and a few other swimmers as Mexico's Ivan Lopez was having an incredibly competitive battle with Russia's Russia’s Daniil Serebrennikov and Argentina's Damian Blaum.

Photos provided by Matsuzaki.

83K World Record Solo Swim in Florida

Yuko Matsuzaki, a former professional marathon swimmer from Japan, completed an 83K (51.5 miles) solo swim in Lake Cane in Orlando, Florida on September 13th to set the world's record for a solo lake swim.

Yuko, a former world champion fin swimmer, swam for 33 hours 25 minutes. A photo of her hands and feet are shown above as proof of the time she spent in the water. Her swim benefited the Central Orlando YMCA Swimming Programs at the YMCA Aquatic Center and Downtown YMCA.

Yuko, currently a sportswriter, set the world record for the Longest Open Water Swim in the Official World Record Registry.

Yuko will also take part of the upcoming world record open water swimming record attempt upcoming in Lake Cane at the end of September.

Copyright © 2008 by World Open Water Swimming Association