Vintage Videos Of The Great Greta

Greta Andersen, arguably the greatest marathon swimmer in history, has wonderful vintage videos of her various professional marathon swims on her website.

Greta was honored by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1964 and the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1969 for her Olympic pool swimming exploits and her many exploits in the open water from Lake Michigan to Mexico to the English Channel.

The vintage videos include her victorious 1958 Billy Butlin's English Channel International Race which she won in 11 hours.

We are struck how her stroke-per-minute pace only seemed to diminish ever so slightly from the start to the finish and how strong her kick was throughout the swim. It was also remarkable that the race had logistical support with helicopters and the fanfare at the finish on British soil. Enjoy:



Another wonderfully entertaining and historical video captured her victory in the 1958 professional 42K (26-mile) marathon swim in Guaymas, Mexico.

What is remarkable about this swim was its rather complicated course, Greta's thick cap at the beginning (removed at some point) and her unrelentless stroke-per-minute pace, especially at the end. From the underwater view in the beautifully clear Mexican waters, one can appreciate Greta's symmetrical stroke. She breathed to the right as she closed in on the lead men - until in the English Channel when she breathed primarily to the left. Like the English Channel races, the Mexican populace came out in groves to see Greta win and she easily overtook the top professional men of her era.



Greta's unprecedented double-crossing of the Catalina Channel was also captured by video.

She set out from Catalina Island at 12:41 am and headed to the California mainland. It was obvious that swimming at night was not a problem for her, but the length of her swim - 26 hours and 53 minutes - took a toll on her customary strong stroke-per-minute pace.

Two escort boats and paddleboarders guided her throughout the swim as was traditional in the Catalina Channel. She finished her first leg in 10 hours and 49 minutes, but received numerous cuts and bruises as she climbed up the sharp rocks. 30 minutes later, she headed back to Catalina Island to complete her double-crossing, swimming throughout the day and once again back into the night. Her determination and sheer exhaustion upon her completion are quite dramatic.

One problem that was not captured on video was when a 10-foot shark was spotted underneath Greta and the lights that were used to film Greta were turned off, according to Penny Dean's authoritative account of the history of swimming the Catalina Channel

Her comment after finishing, "If I had known what I was getting into, I wouldn't have done it," summarized the difficulty of the swim.



An incredible woman...an incredible history...and three incredible videos.

Upper photo of Greta Anderson finishing her historic Catalina Channel swim by the Long Beach Press Telegram.

Inner Thoughts Of A Channel Coach

Siga Rose is a renowned age-group swimming coach from the Mission Viejo Nadadores in Southern California. While her USA Swimming coaching peers, parents and swimmers know her for her age-group swimmers who have set 25 national records and her work at numerous USA Swimming Zone camps, All-Star camps and All-Star meets, Siga has used her considerable talents and dynamic personality to coach several marathon swimmers of note, including former English Channel record holder Penny Dean, Catalina Channel record holder John York and the only person to have completed a circumnavigation around Catalina Island, Cindy Cleveland.

We caught up with Siga at the pool deck at the home pool of the Mission Viejo Nadadores whose swimmers have won 20 Olympic medals and set 22 world records in the pool and talked about her athletes and coaching in the dynamic environment of the open water.

Open Water Source: You have coached some of the world’s toughest and most accomplished ocean swimmers. Can you tell us when you got into coaching and where you have coached?

Siga: I started coached age-group swimming in Manhattan Beach [in Southern California] at the age of 18. Instead of a pool practice, I occasionally took the kids to the beach and got them comfortable with swimming in the water and through the surf. I would like take all the kids to the beach. They trusted me and I know it sounds mushy, but they looked me in the eyes and completely trusted me as they came through the waves. They bought into [the joy and challenge of open water swimming] totally. The trust they placed in me was great. I would hold them if they were nervous in the surf.

Open Water Source: When did you first realize that coaching open water swimmers was something that you wanted to do?

Siga: I started to take the kids down to the beach at a time when women were not allowed to be Los Angeles County lifeguards. We could compete in ocean races – and I did pretty well – but we still couldn’t be employed as lifeguards. In fact, the first woman who became a lifeguard was a woman I coached.

The ocean workouts were a good change of scenery for the kids. When you take the black line away and are alone in the open water, you can learn more about yourself.

Anyway, I took the kids to various ocean swims including the Seal Beach Roughwater Swim [that had races of various distances]. Then, one year, John [York] and Cindy [Cleveland] wanted to do the 3-mile swim. They loved it. Then, when John was 13, he and Cindy told me that they wanted to swim "there" - which was Catalina Channel.

So they were the ones who really got me into coaching marathon swimmers. I asked around and started to experiment. I knew if they were going to be successful that they had to train well. So, I overtrained them. If the Catalina Channel was 22 nautical miles, then I was going to train them to be able to do 27 miles. I knew they were going to be out there [in the Channel] for a long time and we had to be prepared for everything.

10Kswimmer: What were some things you did as their coach?

Siga: And, they trusted me 100% thinking I knew something. I just needed to be sure they were very well prepared. At that time, I had a group of 6-7 swimmers at Lakewood Aquatics who were really committed. The group included Dan Slosberg, Penny Dean (who held the English Channel record from 1978 to 1994), John and Cindy. While Penny trained with [legendary pool coach [Jim Montrella], Dan, John and Cindy would train with me.

I knew there would be times in the Channel when they would hit currents and they would have to use their speed to be successful. So I felt they could not lose their speed.

We did a lot of kicking and with lots of interval work [in the pool]. We tried to keep their heart rate up and we alternated slow and fast swims because sometimes you can hit currents out there and they needed to swim through a current or tough conditions. So, we also incorporated a lot of sprint work and a lot of kicking.

Sometimes, they would get cold especially if they didn’t kick. We did a lot of kicking sets with a kickboard, but we didn’t use fins in those days.

We really trained hard. In the summers, we would train in the pool in the mornings, and then drive over to Seal Beach and we would swim all day long in the beach – and then we would drive back to the pool for another pool workout. We would do two pool workouts and then swim from 10 am to 2 pm in the ocean four days a week.

When they were in the channel and getting tired or cold, I would use these workouts as a way to help them. I would tell them, "Think back to the days that we swam all day long." Because they did swim all day long. Those swimmers were really committed to it.

Our sport is dangerous. There are risks and we knew we had to be prepared. For example, one time, a thick fog came rolling in and the kids were stuck out there [in the ocean] with no idea where the shore was. But, they knew to stay where they were and they waited for the fog to lift.

I used to walk along the shore back-and-forth with them every step [stroke] of the way.

I couldn’t figure out how fast they would swim in the open water, so I started counting strokes per minute. Penny could constantly go at 80 strokes per minute and John sometimes got up to 84. But, we also counted strokes in the pool too.

Open Water Source: Can you describe their ocean workouts?

Siga: They knew they were well prepared because they trained so much. They would swim back and forth from the Seal Beach pier to the jetty. We would pick up the pace and race for time. We swam in December when the water was really cold. Maybe they would be in the water for only 10 or 20 minutes, but I told them to get in and the cold water would toughen them up. I think I did a good job with each of them mentally and they knew they were prepared.

Of course, the lifeguards all knew and saw us training, so they knew us and occasionally helped us.

We did in-and-outs, too where they would run in and out of the surf and up to the beach. It got their heart rates up and helped break up the monotony. I wanted to shake things up. Even at the end of their channel crossings, they had to get out from the water and stand up. So we wanted to recreate the swim as much as possible in workouts.

We experimented constantly with lots of things and we finally learned what worked [well]. We talked to nutritionists and came up with all kinds of [specialty] foods and drinks. But, the kids got sick [in the water]. We tried everything [during training]. We used whatever worked for their stomachs. Cindy liked bananas and cookies. John ate cheese sandwiches, cookies and apple sauce. Apple sauce seemed to agree with everyone. But Cindy drank coffee on her [unprecedented and still unreplicated 34-hour] circumnavigation of Catalina Island. So we used what worked.

Open Water Source: Did you have any rules on an actual channel crossing?

Siga: Yes. There were never parents on the escort boats because you never know what may go wrong or where. I would never sleep – as their coach – during a crossing and was always watching them, counting their strokes and encouraging them. When they stopped for feeding, I was the only one who would talk to them. After I was done, then the other crew members could talk. If the support crew wanted to eat, they had to go to the other side of the boat. And, if we saw sharks, we never said "sharks." We would say, "fish on left" or "fish on right" and would bring the paddlers in close to the swimmer. We would also bring the escort boat close to the swimmer and gun the engine, trying to scare it away. It is dangerous out there and you have to be alert.

Of course, sometimes, the swimmers had to pull themselves through kelp. And I could tell when Penny was a little nervous about fish she saw in the water.

Open Water Source: Can you tell us a few swims that stood out?

Siga: I had some interesting swims. Once I had four crossings in a row. And, I did not sleep during a crossing. Coaches cannot sleep because too many things can go wrong. I remember when John [York] did a double-crossing and we finished in the morning and then I coached Cindy [Cleveland] on her double-crossing. That was very difficult

I remember on an earlier swim when I was asked to be on a swimmer's escort boat, but not as the coach. The swimmers started in the dark and swam for two hours and then quit. Suddenly everything and everyone stopped. This experience taught me a lot.

If this situation occurred when I was the coach, I would have pulled the paddlers away from the swimmer and let the swimmer think about quitting before suddenly giving up.

But, there is a huge risk and it can get dangerous if people become complacent. Of course, crossing the channel has been done a lot, but you have to be respectful of the environment where we are. The ocean can be smooth and easy, but there are always risks.

We saw lots of sharks in our crossing. We saw them and we always protected the swimmer. On one occasion, one of the best skippers, Micky [Pittman], gunned the escort boat motors to scare the shark away and gaffed the shark as it got closer. He literally chased the shark away. But, we were worried about the blood and we always had people watching the front, back and sides of the boat. We used paddlers in those days with paddlers on either side of the swimmer [for safety].

Another time, I was coaching John on his double-crossing of Catalina. The next year, he got across, but that particular year, he did not. During his training, he was losing weight which should have told me something. During his crossing on the first leg, he threw up during the rough conditions. Then, the ocean calmed down. As he was coming into shore [on the first leg], I got in a skiff and escorted him into shore. After his first leg was finishe, I talked to him on shore and asked if he was OK. He said he was alright and got back in. On the way back, we always check the water temperature and stroke count a lot throughout the swim. When we were coming into the mainland, less than a mile offshore, the team wanted me at the finish. In hindsight, I should have stayed with my swimmer [in the main escort boat]. But, they put me in the skiff and someone rowed me in with John into shore.

I noticed that John was not breathing very much. So I asked the paddler who was right next to him to reach out and grab him. But, he kept on swimming. So, I told the paddler to jump in [the water] and grab him. But, he still kept on swimming. So the paddler grabbed him [tighter] and put him on the paddle board [face up]. John was just gone [hypothermic]. He was very cold and the water temperature had suddenly dropped as the water depth significantly decreases as you head into shore near the coast.

The paddler was giving him mouth-to-mouth – on the paddle board. Of course, we had immediately called Baywatch [the Los Angeles County lifeguards] who came right away and wrapped him up immediately. I was totally a mess. They took John to the hospital where he recovered. It was a very difficult time and really difficult to me. John was like a son to me. But, that same day, I was scheduled to coach Cindy on her double-crossing.

During her swim, Cindy was actually taking care of me during the swim – asking me questions during the swim. When Cindy’s swim was over, John [who was then recovered] says that he wants to do it. And, guess what, he does his double-crossing the next year when he set the record [that still stands].

Even when there were 'fish' on Cindy’s swims, she would ask not to be pulled out, but we made sure that she was swimming very close to the boats and the paddlers were right there with her. The sharks were more curious than anything.

Open Water Source: Can you tell us what you did while on the escort boat?

Siga: Because I knew these kids so well, I would draw on the different things in their lives during the swims. We used hand signals. On the escort boats, none of the support crew was allowed to yawn or eat in front of the swimmers. If they needed to yawn or wanted to eat, they had to go to the other side of the boat where the swimmer could not see them. During the feedings on the swims, none of the support crew was to talk to the swimmer until I was done talking to them [giving them instructions or encouragement]. I was strict, but these rules were for the best. I always stayed right with the swimmers, always watching them and giving them instructions. Sometimes, when they got tired, I would put more people in the water with them. We rotated paddlers which they liked and asked people to swim with them. But, the [support] swimmers were never to swim ahead of the [solo] swimmer, just to the side, but never in front.

Open Water Source: What did you do about feedings?

Siga: For the first two hours, we [stopped and] fed every hour and then we fed every 30 minutes. Then, we would go every 15 minutes. Even if they were not hungry, I would tell them to take a bite or a drink. I always started off firm. I was serious because [coaching] was hard work.

I told the skipper that he was the one who would call the swim [in case of an emergency or tough conditions]. I asked the skipper to tell me if the swimmer was staying in one place. I needed to know this information. If the swimmers were swimming in place, then we could change our direction or swim a little further or at a different angle. Mickey Pittman of San Pedro was the best, he is a wonderful man. He really wanted it for the swimmers.

We greatly appreciate Siga’s sharing of her experiences. The multi-part interview will be continued.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Swimming Blind

The history of open water swimming is illuminated with heroic efforts of incredibly inspirational individuals.

King Benny Nawahi is one such swimmer who swam into the annals of Catalina Channel history.

According to the History of the Catalina Channel Since 1927 by Penny Lee Dean, 48-year-old blind King Benny Nawahi (Benjamin Keakahiawa Nawahi) of Hawaii set out from Santa Catalina Island, led by "the tinkle of the bell on the pilot boat" and sandwiched between two lifeguards (George Cole and John Olguin) took turns swimming with him most of the crossing.

Benny was a well-known steel guitarist who toured the country, but he became blind in 1935, although he continue to perform into the 1970s.

In September 1946, Benny began at 9:51 pm from the city of Avalon on Catalina Island. En route to the California mainland, he drank two quarts of soup. In an era long before GPS, his escort boats were guided by a large bonfire on the California shore with over 150 people waiting for his arrival. He walked onshore after a physically exhausting crossing of 22 hours and 20 minutes.

Source: History of the Catalina Channel Since 1927 by Penny Lee Dean.

Lake Windermere: Before and After

Less than two weeks after the Great North Swim opened for entries, the first day of the event is closed with a maximum of 2,500 swimmers - and the second day is quickly reaching its limit.

Lake Windermere was not always the venue for thousands of open water swimmers, but it has been a marathon swimming hotbed for decades nevertheless. Since 1956, our records indicate that the British Long Distance Swimming Association has hosted numerous 25K International Championships in England's largest lake.

While modern-day open water heroes like Olympic 10K Marathon Swim medalists Maarten van der Weijden, Thomas Lurz and David Davies have recently frequented Lake Windermere, athletes like the following heroes swam up and down the lake in years past:

Elaine Gray won the 10.5-mile Windermere International Championships in 1966. A.D. van der Vieken won the 15.5-mile championship in 1970. Lotty van Teen won the 15.5-mile championship in 1974. And renowned swimmers like Kevin Murphy, Michael Read, Penny Lee Dean (shown on left), Sally Minty nee Minty-Gravett, Julie Bradshaw, Karen Burton nee Reeder, Alison Streeter and John York has honored the shores of Lake Windermere with their presence.

As one of the World's Top Open Water Swims, the Great North Swim plans to set off a total of 5,000 swimmers over a two-day period in waves of 250 people.

Colin Hill, the Event Director said, "The Great North Swim’s success is down to its stunning location, world class elite field, overwhelming support from spectators and the enthusiasm of thousands of swimmers."

Throughout the decades, Lake Windermere has been a draw for international fields of marathon swimmers. Now, it is the site for open water swimmers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

A growing trend around the globe.

Top Ten Moments in Open Water Swimming History

Vote on our January poll on the Top Ten Moments in Open Water Swimming History. Our panel of experts have selected 35 moments in open water swimming history that we hope are representative of all that is heroic, impressive and memorable in our sport.

Vote on our poll to the left. The great moments in open water swimming history are listed chronologically below:

1. British Matthew Webb’s 21 hour 45 minute first successful crossing of the English Channel in August 1875. His courageous 21 hour 45 minute swim was an accomplishment of the impossible and captured the world’s attention.







2. Hungarian Alfréd Hajós' gold-medal victory in the 1200-meter freestyle at the first modern Olympics in the 13°C (55°F) water of the Aegean Sea in April 1896. He famously said, "My will to live completely overcame my desire to win." His victory was the first true open water swim in Olympic history.






3. Establishment of the La Jolla Rough Water Swim in 1916 to showcase the beautiful seaside community north of San Diego, California. This swim by 7 men became an annual celebration of thousands along the California coastal lifestyle which other communities have followed over the subsequent decades.
[Photo of start]

4. American Gertrude Ederle’s record-breaking 14 hour 39 minute crossing of the English Channel in August 1926. After being the first Olympic gold medalist to attempt the Channel, she was celebrated by one of New York City’s largest ticker-tape parades. She reportedly said, "People said women couldn’t swim the Channel, but I proved they could."





5. Creation of the Channel Swimming Association, including the establishment of specific rules and regulations, to govern English Channel swims in 1927. The rules set forth by this Association have had a profound influence on open water swimming governing bodies that were subsequently established.




6. Canadian George Young’s 15 hour 22 minute victory in the January 1927 race across the Catalina Channel, completing the first crossing while winning US$25,000 over 101 competitors. The Catalina Kid was the only finisher in the Wrigley Ocean Marathon that helped usher in the era of big-money and notoriety to the sport.


7. German Ernst Vierkotter’s victory in the first Canadian National Exhibition race in August 1927, winning US$30,000 for an 11 hour 45 minute 21-mile swim in Lake Ontario. His victory was an early big-money swim in a highly prestigious marathon race that was held annually until 1964.






8. British Mercedes Gleitze’s first successful crossing in 12 hours 50 minutes of the 12.8K (8 mile) Gibraltar Strait between Spain and Morocco in May 1928. Her tenacity in the early years of channel swimming helped pave the way for many to follow.







9. Irish Tom Blower’s 15 hour 26 minute first successful crossing of the 33.7K (21 mile) North (Irish) Channel between Ireland and Scotland in July 1947. His crossing was a breakthrough in cold-water marathon swimming.


10. Establishment of the 3K Vansbrosimningen in central Sweden. The event has introduced and incorporated many elements of open water swimming now commonly found in local races from Asia to America.



11. Establishment of the Traversata dello Stretto race in the Italian Strait of Messina in September 1954. This race, inspired by Giuseppe Dominici's 1930 crossing, is typical of many local coastal swims in the Mediterranean.

12. Inspiration for the 19.2K Rottnest Channel Swim when Gerd von Dincklage-Schulenburg first crossed the channel in 9 hours 45 minutes from Freemantle to Rottnest Island in Western Australia in January 1956. The swim inspired thousands and led to the establishment of the world’s largest open water swimming relay in March 1956.


13. Argentinian Antonio Abertondo’s 43 hour 10 minute first double-crossing of the English Channel in September 1961. His mind-boggling, nearly two-day swim gave new meaning to staying power and opened the door to double-crossing and triple-crossing attempts in various waterways around the world.




14. American Keo Nakama’s 15 hour 37 minute first successful crossing of the 42K (26 mile) Molokai Channel between Molokai and Oahu in Hawaii in September 1961. The former world record holder and NCAA/AAU/Pan American champion came out of retirement to cross a channel thought uncrossable. His effort helped motivate many adult swimmers to take up challenges in various waterways of the world.
[Photo by Ken Sakamoto]

15. New Zealander Barry Devonport’s first crossing of the 30K (16 mile) Cook Strait in 11 hours 20 minutes in November 1962. His crossing came 33 years after the first attempt and helped pave the way for others to follow in one of the trickiest and coldest major swimming channels in the world.





16. Egyptian Abdel-Latif Abo-Heif’s 34 hour 38 minute victory in the 1963 96.5K (60 mile) Lake Michigan Swim Challenge over American Ted Erickson and Dane Greta Anderson. He pushed the limits of what was thought possible over a long-lasting career from 1953 to 1972, remaining competitive and cunning in his race tactics, yet forever garrulous as the most well-respected ambassador of the sport.




17. American Colonel Stewart Evan’s first 32K (20 mile) crossing from the Farallon Islands to the California coast in 13 hours and 46 minutes in August 1967. His careful planning in a cold-water challenge across Great White Shark-invested waters near San Francisco opened the eyes to many on how to form a formidable and professional support team.

18. American John Kinsella’s victories in 26 out of 29 races on the World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation circuit from 1974 to 1979. The multiple NCAA and AAU champion was the first male Olympic pool swimming medalist to take his talents to the professional circuit, significantly elevating the quality of professional marathon swimmers worldwide.



19. American Penny Lee Dean’s first English Channel crossing under 8 hours in September 1978. Her tenacious training regimen helped her to shatter the existing Channel record. Her sharing of her training methodologies helped many other marathon swimmers achieve their own personal goals.






20. FINA establishment of a Long Distance Swimming Commission to study the inclusion of open water swimming as its fifth recognized discipline in 1985. This Commission eventually led to the creation of the FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup, the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix circuit and inclusion of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in the Olympic Games.

21. American Lynne Cox’s 2 hour 6 minute 4.3K (2.7 mile) swim across the Bering Strait from Alaska to the Siberia above the Arctic Circle in 4°C (40°F) water in August 1987. Her historic swim caught the world’s attention, including Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan, who both credited her with helping bring the Soviet Union and America together and thawing their Cold War relations.




22. Australian Shelley Taylor-Smith’s overall marathon swimming title in 1991 when she won 2 races on the pro circuit (30K in Sydney and 35K in Atlantic City) and got 2 seconds (42K Lac Magog and 40K Lac St-Jean) to rank #1 by the International Marathon Swimming Association over all men and women. This was the sole example of a woman beating men head-to-head over one season. Her dominance led to the gender separation in prize money and the point ranking system, as well as increased prize money for women.

23. Argentina’s Claudio Plit’s close 1-minute 1986 victory over New Zealander Philip Rush in the 64K (40 mile) Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean in Quebec, Canada. His close victory of 17 hours 45 minutes 24 seconds to Philip’s 17 hours 46 minutes 29 seconds over a 40-mile cold-water course was a precursor to the tight racing packs of today. The constant jockeying for position and the strategy and tactics used are still classic to study.




24. The record-setting participation of 17,332 swimmers in South Africa’s 2004 Midmar Mile. The global growth and increasing professionalism of the sport is showcased by the world’s largest open water swimming event.




25. The International Olympic Committee’s October 2005 decision to add marathon swimming to the Beijing Olympics. The inclusion in the Olympics elevated the sport to a new level, providing the impetus for many national governing bodies, coaches and athletes to start preparing for a marathon swim in the Olympics, and generating additional money, sponsors and media attention to the sport.

26. The release of the Argentinian movie Agua that revolved around the 57K Maratón Acuática Internacional Sante Fe-Coronda Marathon Swim. The production and distribution of a fictional movie around one of the longest, most competitive and traditional professional marathon swims in the world is an example of the growing media coverage of the sport.


27. British Lewis Gordon Pugh’s 18 minutes 50 seconds swim in the geographic North Pole in -1.7ºC and 0ºC (29ºF and 32ºF) in July 2007. His pioneering extreme swims in the cold push the boundaries of human capabilities while raising awareness of climate change and motivating action vis-à-vis the fragility of our environment.

28. Bulgarian Petar Stoychev’s breaking of the 7-hour barrier in his record-setting 6 hour 57 minute English Channel swim in August 2007. His training approach and versatility from 1500 meters to 21 miles helped set the direction for other top marathon swimmers.



29. South African Natalie du Toit’s qualification for the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships. Her humble nature, competitive zeal and heart-warming story as the first amputee to qualify for an Olympic final inspired millions throughout the world.



30. Australian Grant Hackett and Britain’s David Davies’s decision to compete in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim qualification swim in Sevilla, Spain in May 2008. The pool swimming Olympic medalists personified the increasing cross-over of elite pool swimmers to the competitive open water world.
[Photo by Javier Blazquez of David Davies leading pack]





31. Russian Larisa Ilchenko’s dramatic come-from-behind victory at the women’s Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Her strategic positioning throughout the race and trademark move at the end are classic textbook tactics for those who wish to achieve success in the marathon swimming world.
[Photo by Pei Qingsheng]




32. Netherland’s Maarten van der Weijden’s improbable come-from-behind victory at the men’s Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His inspirational recovery from leukemia and his unexpected retirement from the sport are newsworthy and dramatic.
[Photo by Pei Qingsheng]





33. Britain’s winning of 3 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim medals in Beijing in August 2008. This achievement greatly helps the 2012 London Olympics Organizing Committee justify more resources and more attention to open water swimming in the build-up to and the hosting of the 2012 Olympics.

34. Hong Kong’s 15K Clean Half Relay incorporated a “carbon-neutral option” in its October 2008 race. The marriage of open water races and environmental issues is taken to a new level when the swimmers are given an outrigger canoe to paddle instead of an escort boat to ride on.



35. GPS or the Global Positioning System was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense and is now commonly used by escort pilots and race directors to navigate courses and set races and turn buoys. The ease of setting a course and determining relative movement in the water has been extremely useful for the sport, especially when currents are strong or in low-visibility conditions.

We believe we summarized many significant moments in open water swimming history, but we know we have overlooked many. Please share your alternative swims, events, people, technologies or trends, suggestions and disagreements in the Comment section.

ADDITIONAL MOMENTS SUBMITTED AFTER POLL OPENED:

36. Danish Greta Anderson competed side-by-side with the best open water swimming men in the world in every major race during the 1950's after winning 2 Olympic medals in the pool. Her October 1958 double crossing of the Catalina Channel in 26 hours 53 minutes was the first double crossing of a major channel. She raised the bar, not only for women, but for everyone else who followed.




New Zealander Philip Rush shattered the triple crossing of the English Channel in a 28 hour 21 minute epic swim in 1987. His ability to go further and faster in colder water set a tremendously high bar for those with similar goals.




Canadian Vicki Keith’s 1989 of unprecedented butterfly marathon swims around the world: the Catalina Channel in 14 hours 53 minutes butterfly in September, swam 31 hours butterfly in 21 miles in Lake Ontario, swam 13 hours butterfly in 18 miles in Lake Winnipeg in August, swam 14 hours butterfly in 20 miles in Juan de Fuca in August, swam the English Channel butterfly in 23 hours 33 minutes in July, swam 13 hours 30 minutes butterfly in her May circumnavigation of Sydney Habour. Her impressive year of butterfly was followed by a period of retirement, then a subsequent year (2005) of raising over $1,000,000 for charity.

Marilyn Bell swim 21 hours to become the first person to swim 51K across Lake Ontario in September 1954. She also won the 1954 Atlantic City Around the Island professional swim in 1954. A documentary, entitled Heart: The Marilyn Bell Story was aired on Canada Broadcasting Company in 2001. She inspired a nation.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

The Crossover: Blending Pool and Open Water Swimming

At the highest levels in open water swimming, crossover athletes from the pool have always done well. John Kinsella was an Olympic gold medalist and 1500-meter world record holder before he dominated the professional marathon swimming circuit in the 1970’s. Paul Asmuth got 4th in the 1650-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division I Swimming Championships before dominating the professional marathon swimming circuit during the 1980’s, Penny Lee Dean was a 6-time collegiate All-American before smashing the English Channel record, Lynne Cox swam under famed coach Don Gambril before setting records around the world’s oceans, Keo Nakama won 27 national pool swimming titles before becoming the first person to cross the 44K (27-mile) Molokai Channel in Hawaii are just some of these pool stalwarts who have performed well in open water swimming.

Even Duke Kahanamoku set his first world record in the open water when he broke 55.4 in Honolulu Harbor.

Nowadays it seems that many great pool swimmers are flocking to the ocean. Aaron Peirsol, the 7-time Olympic medalist, just put on his first Race for the Oceans event in Florida together with Rowdy Gaines. In addition to being a 3-time Olympic gold medalist and 4-time NBC announcer at the Olympics, Rowdy also annually announcing at the RCP Tiburon Mile with 4-time Olympic gold medalist John Naber.

Natalie Coughlin has participated in the Fiji Swims as have Shane Gould, John Konrads, Debbie Meyers, Murray Rose and several other Olympic medalists from 1956 to 2008.

During these last few months alone, Beijing Olympic hero Jazon Lezak participated in the Swim for Life, 14 Olympians participated in the Swim Across America swim in San Francisco Bay and Oussama Mellouli competed in the RCP Tiburon Mile. And, of course, three British pool swimmers, Keri-Anne Payne (200 and 400 individual medley), Cassandra Patten (800-meter freestyle) and David Davies (1500-meter freestyle) took 50% of the available medals at the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim only days after competing in the pool events at the Beijing Olympics.

And they weren't the only ones: Petar Stoychev did his best time in the 1500-meter freestyle only days before finishing sixth in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim. Others including Marianna Lymperta and Spyridon Gianniotis of Greece and Kristel Kobrich also competed in both the pool and marathon swims in Beijing.

The annual Flowers Sea Swim in the Cayman Islands has always attracted many Olympic pool swimming medalists, including Klete Keller, Chris Thompson, Anthony Nesty, Ian Crocker, Neil Walker, Rada Owen, Kristy Kowal, Brooke Bennett and Chad Carvin and NCAA Division I champions such as Ryan Lochte and Shaune Fraser.


And, now in advertising, it seems that the cross-over – both ways – between open water swimming and pool swimming has begun. Micha Burden, one of the top American open water swimmers and a pool swimmer with the Mission Viejo Nadadores, is now one of the more prolific models gracing the marketing materials of TYR.

Micha has also appeared elsewhere in the press and aquatic advertising.


TYR also used Pan American Games 10Kchampion and 2-time 800-meter freestyle champion Fran Crippen as the model for the TYR Tracer Light high-tech competition suits.

Pool to open water. Open water to pool. Pool and open water. The fusion has begun. And, at least in advertising and among many athletes, the borders between the two disciplines appears to be fading a bit.



Photos of International Swimming Hall of Fame honorees a Penny Lee Dean and Lynne Cox are from the International Swimming Hall of Fame website. Photos of the Fiji Swims Olympians is courtesy of Fiji Swims. Photos of Micha Burden and Fran Crippen are courtesy of TYR.Copyright © 2009 by Open Water Source