Osama Momtaz Talks About Swimming In Egypt’s Golden Era On WOWSA Live
Dr. Osama Ahmed Momtaz was interviewed by Ned Denison, chairperson of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame on today’s WOWSA Live.
He finished on the podium early in his career and he wanted to train and compete in Alexandria, racing with Captain Nabil Elshazly at a time when Egypt was an epicenter of marathon swimming, both amateur and professional. During his interview, he talks about the following:
* coached by the Egyptian national team coach early in his career
* started out as a 100m and 200m butterflyer
* did his first open water swim as a 15 km domestic competition held in the Nile River in 1975
* mentored by Abou-Heif and Captain Nabil Elshazly
* competing on a global year-round circuit with his fellow Egyptian stars
* competing in Windermere in 1979 which he loved with David Morgan on his escort boat
* competing in Turkey, Egypt, Italy and Croatia in races up to 40 km
* competing in an 8-hour first stage qualification swim, then a 12-hour swim, then a 16-hour swim, and finally four 24-hour swims in a pool in order to attempt a two-way crossing of the English Channel
* did three 24-hour swims
* qualified with Osama Rashad
* drinking coffee with honey and a small sandwich on his 21 hour 37 minute two-way crossing in 1984, swimming 90 spm for the last 6 hours of his swim – and then running down the street in joy
* coaching Paul Asmuth in a Nile River competition
* still competing as a masters swimmer and will continue to swim until his last day
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