Tiburón Likes Cold Water
Tiburón, whose real name was Victor Guillermo Contreras, is an open water swimmer from Chile who crossed the Strait of Gibraltar in 1981 in 3 hours 27 minutes at the age of 34 and the English Channel in 1982 in 12 hours 2 minutes. Tiburón (Spanish for shark) is also perhaps best known for his extreme swims across the Strait of Magellan 4.8 km in 1 hour 28 minutes in 1979), across the Beagle Channel in 1980, and an off-the-grid swim where he experienced hypothermia swimming off Deception Island near the Antarctic Peninsula in 1987.
By sharing his passion and experience for channel swims and extreme swims with his fellow Chileans, his legacy will be long remembered.
Photo of Tiburón courtesy of the Asociación Cruce A Nado Del Estrecho De Gibraltar.
Copyright © 2013 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.
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