Nejib Belhedi’s Swim from Italy to Tunisia
Update 7/1/2022 What Happened from Start to Finish of Nejib Belhedi’s Swim Between Italy and Tunisia?
Note: Numerous correspondents, news agencies and officials have contacted WOWSA about Nejib Belhedi’s Swim from Italy to Tunisia. The following is WOWSA’s official statement.
The World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) is one of many established channel and marathon swimming organizations around the world.
WOWSA is dedicated to the organization, promotion and recognition of open water swimmers, events, records, trends, and achievements in the world of marathon swimming, including solo and relay channel crossings, competitive races of all distances, especially the Olympic 10k Marathon Swim, extreme swimming (including ice swimming, winter swimming, stage swimming, and high-altitude swimming), coaching, officiating, and piloting.
WOWSA does offer as one of many services – pre-swim planning and post-swim ratification, as do other channel and marathon swimming organizations around the world. Solo swimmers and relays who wish to receive a ratification from the World Open Water Swimming Association must follow the WOWSA Rules & Regulations.
WOWSA did not assist in pre-swim planning or ratify Nejib Belhedi’s swim from Italy to Tunisia.
Nejib Belhedi announced his swim from Italy to Tunisia. The news posted in the newsfeed. This announcement stated the swim was supported by the State of Tunisia and the Ministry of Sport, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, and the Governorate of Sousse. The organizers include La Société d’Etudes et de développement Sousse Nord and Hasdrubal Thalassa Yasmine Hammamet.
Nejib Belhedi was encouraged by The International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame to have observers on his boat.
In order to officially ratify a swim, observer logs from pilots, observers, and crew are an established necessity in channel and marathon swimming.
Nejib Belhedi knows this well from his English Channel crossing of 1993.
Observer logs include hourly observations of water temperature, air temperature, wind speed or force, stroke rate (strokes per minute), general observations of water conditions, feeds, notable events, marine life encounters, feeding or hydration.
Also, in order to ratify a swim tracking data is required – original/raw data from GPS tracking device such as a SPOT Tracker, GPS watch, or smartphone app. WOWSA recommends using at least two tracking devices simultaneously in the case one device fails.
Until this post-swim information is received and reviewed, WOWSA – as all other established channel and marathon swimming organizations – does not ratify a swim.
WOWSA has not received pre-swim or post-swim information from Nejib Belhedi or any one of his crew members or observers.
