Extreme Conditions Overcome From Robben Island To Big Bay
“To all who finished: well done. To those who didn’t, don’t worry, Robben Island is going nowhere. It was a great effort. Don’t give up. Come back and tame this crossing,” said Cadiz Freedom Swim Chairman Ram Barkai.“The conditions were very deceiving. It was calm and sunny with a (relatively) hot start (13.2°C). Little did we know the temperature would drop constantly and forget to rise towards the end. Then there were swells and a strong current.”
Cold with decreasing temperatures.
Calm with increasing swells.
Sounds like a classically extreme open water swim. But the swimmers rose to the occasions. A total of 326 swimmers started and 298 finished. Among the solo swimmers, 129 started and 103 finished. Among the relays, 57 teams started and 56 finished. Tyron Venter (1:48:28) and Sarah Kay (2:08:51) were the first finishers “This was an event of epic proportions and a race of extreme conditions,” said Craig Craig Doonan of the 7.5K swim in Cape Town, South Africa from Robben Island to Big Bay. “It was an incredibly challenging swim.”
Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source
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. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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