America’s best crossover swimmer and 2008 Olympian Chloe Suttonannounced she is now, officially, a professional swimmer.
Her long-awaited decision will allow her to finally collect on the prize money available to her in the pool and open water, the sponsorship opportunities and the training support funds she has passed up her entire career – one in which she has proven herself to be a force in both in pool and open water at the world-class level.
She explained her decision to Garrett McCaffrey on Swimming World TV.
“It is a hard decision to give up the opportunity to swim in college [in America where she would have to remain an amateur to compete]. I want to get the world records; I want to get the gold medals. I want to focus on swimming…do it for as long as I can…focus on it and accomplish it.”
“It was a long, hard decision, but I know I made the right decision for me.”
Chloe has won US$20,000 outright in two open water races alone: the 2006 and 2007 RCP Tiburon Miles and has a very bright future at the highest echelons in the pool and open water swimming worlds. Furthermore, because she speaks well and is personable with swimming fans and the media, we foresee sponsors very much appreciating her efforts both in and out of the water.
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.