Maltese Swimming In The Heart Of the Mediterranean
Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club, the center for endurance sports in Malta, has an active open water swimming community.The Birkirkara St. Joseph team swam around the entire Maltese archipelago (excluding the island of Filfla due to Maltese Maritime Law), which lies centrally located in the Mediterranean Sea, 93K south of Sicily.
Keith Bartolo, a local English Channel aspirant, proudly and accurately explains the mild temperate climate, “Our island is small, but it provides excellent open water swimming training grounds during the winter. Our sea temperature goes down to 14°C (57°F). Our seas are beautiful here.”The annual Gozo-Malta Open Water Swimming Challenge offers swimmers the opportunity to swim the short channel between Gozo and Malta.
This year, the Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club is stepping up the challenge as more and more foreigners flock to the islands to train. In addition to the 5K one-way race, there will be new 11K two-way crossing from Malta to Gozo and back to Malta on August 21st, the Malta-Gozo-Malta Open Water Swimming Challenge 2010.
As generous hosts, the Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club is offering training sessions and inexpensive accomodations for visitors.
Great open water swimming opportunities for those who wish to swim in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones
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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