LEN (Ligue Européenne de Natation), the governing body of 51 national European Swimming Federations, and sports reporters from across the European continent honored Thomas Lurz and Angela Maurer as its Open Water Athletes of the Year.
The two German world champions swam extraordinarily well throughout the year, culminating in dramatic and toughly-fought victories at the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome this July.
Thomas, the double 5K and 10K world champion and FINA World Cup champion, will receive his award along with the winners of the other aquatic disciplines before the finals at 13th European Short Course Swimming Championships in Istanbul tomorrow.
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.