Marathon Swimming Pomp and Circumstance in Napoli and Pompeii
Ned Denison of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame announced the annual IMSHOF Induction Ceremony in Napoli, Italy on May 7th 2022.
He also announced the half-day Pompeii Tour also scheduled for May 7th. “Pompeii was an ancient city located near Napoli, Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area, were buried under 4 to 6 meters of volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
Largely preserved under the ash, the excavated city offered a unique snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment it was buried, although much of the detailed evidence of the everyday life of its inhabitants was lost in the excavations. It was a wealthy town, enjoying many fine public buildings and luxurious private houses with lavish decorations, furnishings, and works of art which were the main attractions for the early excavators.
Organic remains, including wooden objects and human bodies, were entombed in the ash. Over time, they decayed, leaving voids which archaeologists found could be used as molds to make plaster casts of unique, and often gruesome, figures in their final moments of life. The numerous graffiti carved on the walls and inside rooms provide a wealth of examples of the largely lost Vulgar Latin spoken colloquially at the time, contrasting with the formal language of the classical writers.
Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, with 2.5 million visitors annually. Many excavations prior to 1960 had uncovered most of the city, but the remains were left in decay. As a result, further major excavations were banned. Instead, they were limited to targeted, prioritized areas. In 2018, these led to new discoveries in some previously unexplored areas of the city.“
To register for the Induction Ceremony and tour, visit www.imshof.org. The honorees include the following individuals:
Honor Swimmers:
- Dr. Caroline Block, USA
- Rachele Bruni, Italy
- Georges Michel, France
- Sharon van Rouwendaal, Netherlands
- Ferry Weertman, Netherlands
Honor Organizations
- Serpentine Swimming Club, Great Britain
Honor Contributors:
- Evan Morrison, Honor Administrator, USA
- Alick Wickham, Honor Coach, Solomon Islands
- Beth Yudovin, Honor Administrator, USA
ISHOF Irving Davids and Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award:
- Elizabeth Fry, Honor Swimmer, USA
ISHOF Poseidon Award
- Shelley Taylor-Smith, Honor Swimmer, Australia
Dale Petranech Award for Services to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
- Steven Muñatones, Honor Swimmer, USA
After the ceremonies, there will be a Naples Open Water Swim Fest with 1 nautical mile(1,852 meters) and 5 km races held on May 8th.
Denison announced, “The event will be held in Naples on Sunday with the departure and arrival at the Posillipo Nautical Club (Via Posillipo, 1). The event is open to both competitive athletes and masters athletes in compliance with the regulations of the FIN (Italian Swimming Federation). The water temperature varies between 17°C and 20°C. Participation is free for all participants at the IMSHOF Induction Ceremony. Registration closes on April 30th.
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