Damián Blaum Swims To The Top Of The World
Damián Blaum grimaced and struggled throughout the 2013 season, but he always finished with a smile. Especially he just won the overall title in the 2013 FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix after a season-long ability to swim consistently well in warm rivers, cold lakes, rough seas, and turbulent tropics.But the personable Argentinean won by the slightest of margins with 62 overall points, just 1 better than runner-up Evgenij Pop Acev from the Republic of Macedonia. Simone Ercoli of Italy finished third with 53 points as the title came down to the final leg at the Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli where Pop Acev was second by a mere 6 seconds, Ercoli was fourth, and Blaum hung on and finished 10th to capture his first FINA Grand Prix title.
Blaum has been the runner-up four times (2007, 2009, 2010, and 2012), but he put it all together in 2013. It was also the first time for Pop Acev and Ercoli to finish in the top three on the FINA Grand Prix circuit.
The 2013 FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix series saw the athletes visit Rosario in Argentina (Maratón Acuática Internactional Ciudad de Rosario), Santa Fe-Coronda in Argentina (Maratón Acuática Internacional Santa Fe – Coronda), Hernandarias-Paraná in Argentina (Maratón Hernandarias-Paraná), Cozumel in Mexico (Cozumel 15K), Capri-Napoli in Italy (Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli), Roberval in Canada (Traversée Internationale du lac St-Jean), Lac Memphrémagog in Canada (Traversée Internationale du lac Memphrémagog), and Ohrid Lake in the Republic of Macedonia (Ohrid Lake Swim Marathon).
Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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