With the sport of open water swimming growing in all its various niches, the World Open Water Swimming Association conducted a comprehensive survey to estimate the size and demographic trends of the global community including ice swimmers, extreme swimmers, stage swimmers, fitness swimmers, marathon swimmers, competitive age-group swimmers, elite
Olympian Ous Mellouli of Tunisia was training this morning with English Channel record holder Trent Grimsey and other world champions like 10 km and 25 km world champion Valerio Cleri and 5 km team pursuit gold medalist Ashley Twichell at the Clube de Regatas do Flamengo pool in Rio de Janeiro. On the pool deck at one of Brazil's richest fútbol clubs and
Thomas Lurz was the well-deserving LEN (Ligue Européenne de Natation) Male Open Water Swimmer of the Year. For the fourth time (2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012), the German juggernaut was 3 seconds from a gold medal at the Olympic 10km Marathon Swim as he won his 27th international medal (Olympics, World and European Championships) in London. [Read
Frank Wechsel announced the availability of the German-language book of Open Water Swimming. The book authored by Steven Munatones is updated with photographs from the Olympic 10km Marathon Swim at the 2012 London Olympic Games and additional information from two-time Olympic marathon swimming medalist Thomas Lurz. The book is published by Spomedis, a
Two-time Olympic medalist Thomas Lurz (silver in 2012 and bronze in 2008 Olympic 10km Marathon Swim) is renowned for his workout habits. In the build-up to the 2012 London Olympics, he trained as intensely as anyone else in the open water swimming world. One of his intense distance training camps was a pool of pain, called Battle Training. [Read
FINA's decisions and justifications for its latest open water swimming rules are shocking and irresponsible. In our experience, observations and opinion, there is simply no justification to allow world-class athletes to race 5 km, 10 km and 25 km in water temperatures up to (and above) 31°C. The problem is even greater because when FINA decides water
Thomas Lurz of Germany was among the 15 selected nominees for the 2012 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year that were announced today. [Read more...] Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source
Close your eyes and think of a basketball player. Close your eyes and think of an airline pilot. Close your eyes and think of an open water swimmer. In the first case with a basketball player, what do you see? A tall individual, much taller than average. In the second case with an airline pilot, what do you see? An well-poised, taller than average man with
The fabulously fit Spyridon Gianniotis of Greece put an exclamation mark on his 2012 season with a win in the final race in Shantou, China. Traveling to all 6 out of the 8 races on the professional circuit - only taking time off to compete in the 2012 London Olympic Games where he finished fourth in the 10K event - Gianniotis proved his abilities in all
Three-time American Olympic coach Bob Bowman is best known as the coach of Michael Phelps. But the renowned coach also coaches open water swimmers including a fast, young swimmer named Gillian Ryan. While Bowman is on a leave from swimming, he will not be far away from the sport. He and 2-time Olympic medalist Thomas Lurz will help conduct a review of
