Senegalese Swimming In The Surf
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
The 28th Traversée Dakar-Gorée is the signature event of the open water swimming season in Sénégal, annually held at the end of September. Over 500 Senegalese swimmers, expatriates and foreigners participated in this year’ 4.5 km and 5.2 km races at Voile d’Or. The events are organized by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Natation et de Sauvetage (Senegalese Federation of Swimming and Rescue).
Like a number of other national swimming federations (e.g., , we find it useful and interesting that national federations like in Sénégal combine their swimming and surf lifesaving missions and organizations. From an open water swimming perspective, it makes perfect sense.
Moustapha Niasse, President of the National Assembly, encourages swimming as a means of drowning prevention. “The authorities must know that swimming is the primary means of prevention against drowning. Worldwide, every 15 minutes someone drowns. These are staggering figures. It is a public health problem.”
The 28th edition of the Traversée Dakar-Gorée also paid tribute to the late Safiétou Diatta, a Senegalese Olympic athlete who recently passed away in a traffic accident.
Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association
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.
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