Like the FINA World Cup race in Brazil, the top men at the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix had a furious fight to the finish at the end of their 8-hour 57K race from Santa Fe to Coronda in Argentina.
In a mind-boggling display of flat-out speed at the end of an endurance race that sapped everything out of the combatants, Joanes Hedel of France outlasted and out-sprinted two swimmers from Argentina Luciano Sales Rubio and Damián Blaum to win.
The conditions and race took everything out of everyone. “I was 10 seconds behind Hedel after 8 hours 36 minutes. I made my move with 5K to go, but I should of waited until 2K,” said Trent Grimsey. “I’m in a world of pain.”
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.