Voting Is Open for 2022 WOWSA Awards

Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy celebrates after winning the gold medal in the 800m Freestyle Men Final during the FINA Swimming Short Course World Championships at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in Melbourne, Australia, December 17th, 2022. Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Gregorio Paltrinieri; Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Voting Is Open for 2022 WOWSA Awards

The World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) has opened balloting for the 2022 WOWSA Awards.

Voting will continue through the end of January. Winners will be announced on February 3.

Performers in six categories were nominated by the public. A total of 143 nominees were narrowed down to 10 in each category by the WOWSA Awards Voting Academy’s 94-member panel. The nominees hail from 23 countries. WOWSA strove to present the nominees who, “best exemplify the spirit of open water swimming and embody the sense of adventure, tenacity, and perseverance that makes this sport so special.”

Kate Steels, Paul Georgescu named 2021 WOWSA Swimmers of the Year

You can vote for the 2022 WOWSA Awards here. The Man and Woman of the Year awards are sponsored by Nike Swim, Hammer Head Swim Caps, ENERGYbits and ORCA.

2022 WOWSA Awards Nominees

Man of the Year: Steve “Seal” Stievenart (France), Lewis Pugh (South Africa), Gregorio Paltrinieri (Italy), Joe Zemaitis (United States), Andy Donaldson (Scotland), Axel Reymond (France), Paddy Conaghan (Ireland), Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria), Florian Wellbrock (Germany), Marcin Szarpak (Poland)

Woman of the Year: Sarah Thomas (United States), Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil), Bárbara Hernández Huerta (Chile), Sharon Van Rouwendaal (Netherlands), Catherine Breed (United States), Kate Steels (United Kingdom), Pat Gallant-Charette (United States), Merle Liivand (Estonia), Susan Simmons (Canada), Dina Levačić (Croatia)

Performance of the Year: Sarah Thomas (United States), Team Bits Missing (United Kingdom), John & Joe Zemaitis (United States), Adherbal de Oliveira (Brazil), Jenny Smith (United States), Marion Joffle (France), Dr. Marcela Macdonald (United States), Krysztof Kubiak (Poland), Gustav Kvikant (Finland), Marek Lehocky & Dr. Steven Minaglia (United States)

Para Performance of the Year: Jeremy McClure (Australia), Team Bits Missing (United Kingdom), Lisala Folau (Tonga), Spirit Orcas (Canada), Tamás Patkás (Hungary), Guilherme Linhares de Oliveira Gomes (Brazil), Mark Omrod, MBE (United Kingdom), Patricia Heffernan (Ireland), Théo Curin (France), Tina Deeken (Germany)

Event of the Year: S.C.A.R. Swim Challenge (United States), Rottnest Channel Swim (Australia), Por Ellas (Mexico), Kingdom Swim (United States), Leme to Pontal Swimming Association (Brazil), Traversée internationale du lac Saint-Jean (Canada), HITtheWall (Ireland), Gdynia Winter Swimming Cup (Poland), Burghausen Winter Swimming World Cup (Germany), Svalbard Ice Swimming Adventure (Norway)

Product or Service of the Year: Cork Distance Week (Ireland), Swim Secure Tow Float (United Kingdom), WOWSA Webinar & Education Series (United States), Sharkbanz (USA), dryrobe (United Kingdom), THEMAGIC5 (United States), Morocco Swim Trek (Morocco), SwimOut (United Kingdom), The Cold Fix (United Kingdom), Sting No More (United States)

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