{"id":336085,"date":"2018-11-04T10:00:09","date_gmt":"2018-11-04T17:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=336085"},"modified":"2018-11-03T12:33:59","modified_gmt":"2018-11-03T19:33:59","slug":"swimming-world-presents-a-voice-for-the-sport-open-water-explosion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swimming-world-presents-a-voice-for-the-sport-open-water-explosion\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimming World Presents “A Voice for the Sport: Open Water Explosion”"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Voice for the Sport: Open Water Explosion<\/h2>\n

Commentary by Steven Munatones, Founder of the World Open Water Swimming Association and the Daily News of Open Water Swimming.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

It is hard to imagine the current explosion of activity and events in the global open water swimming community being greater. More and more open water swims are being organized on every continent.<\/p>\n

The dynamic growth ranges from short shoreline swims for children to a 120-mile, seven-day stage swim down the Hudson River in New York that attracts dozens of Masters swimmers from several countries. While the Olympic 10K Marathon race is the most globally viewed open water event, there are another estimated 25,000-30,000 annually organized open water events around the world.<\/p>\n

The number of races, the amount of athlete and event sponsorship, and television and livecasting coverage are increasing. The number of 10-kilometer marathon swims is now more than 650 worldwide, and unprecedented solo swims and relays are taking place all over the globe.<\/p>\n

The professionalism of race directors\u2014especially in Europe, the Caribbean and South America\u2014is providing opportunities for both able and disabled swimmers to challenge themselves in rivers, lakes, bays, seas and oceans.<\/p>\n

FINA sanctions two professional series: the FINA\/HOSA Marathon Swim World Series (10-kilometer races) and the UltraMarathon Swim Series (32-57 kilometer races), but it has also added FINA Open Water Swim World Events for amateurs. However, the growth of the International Winter Swimming Association World Cup Series and the International Ice Swimming Association World Cup races is much more dramatic. Ice swimmers compete without wetsuits in water lower than 5 C (41 F) in pools carved out of a frozen river or lake, often with snow falling on their shoulders.<\/p>\n

Swimmers are pioneering high-altitude swims from the Andes to Mount Everest that attract media attention for a focus on environmental issues. Others complete cross-border swims\u2014between Jordan and Israel, the U.S. and Mexico, and Japan and Taiwan\u2014that require a significant degree of Speedo diplomacy.<\/p>\n

Unprecedented swims of unfathomable length include Ben Lecomte<\/strong> who is currently 1,642 miles east of Japan swimming daily across the Pacific Ocean with the aim to reach San Francisco by March 2019. Lewis Pugh<\/strong> swam along the length of the English Channel\u2014350 miles along the southern coast of England\u2014that resulted in the British government promising to protect 30 percent of its domestic waters by 2030.<\/p>\n

Sarah Thomas<\/strong> swam 104.6 miles in Lake Champlain in 67 hours 16 minutes, while 66-year-old Nejib Belhedi<\/strong> swam 74.6 miles in 76 hours 30 minutes in Tunisia, while 67-year-old Khitindra Chandra Baishya<\/strong> swam 115 miles down the Kangha River in 61 hours 55 minutes in Bangladesh.<\/p>\n

The sport will grow responsibly with a continued focus on safety and the welfare of its swimmers who are at the mercy of the elements and conditions. The experience of race directors is essential to think through and plan for every contingency.<\/p>\n

The inaugural Open Water Summit held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Nov. 10, will be a unique opportunity for interested swimmers, coaches, pilots, administrators, officials and organizers of the sport to discuss common issues and the growing number of opportunities.<\/p>\n

To learn more about the open water explosion, check out the November 2018 issue of\u00a0Swimming World Magazine<\/em>, available now!\u00a0\u00a0Swimming World subscribers can download this issue in the\u00a0Swimming World Vault<\/a>!<\/p>\n

\"nov-18-cover\"<\/a><\/h3>\n

[PHOTO BY ANDREA STACCIOLI\/DEEPBLUEMEDIA\/INSIDEFOTO]<\/h3>\n

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