It was huge out there in the very best meaning of the word.
The Clean Half was showered by perfect weather with a fairly calm and warm ocean, and only a few currents to deal with today in Hong Kong.
A new course record for the solo 15 km was broken by Trent Grimsey, who emerged from his retirement with a time of 3:14:23. The English Channel record holder eclipsed the time that Marcos Diaz from the Dominican Republic set three years ago.
In the team’s event, a new course record was also set by Swimming the Wright Way with a blazing time of 3 hours and 47 seconds. The women’s team race was won by The Manta Gals at 3:21:50, and the mixed team division was topped by LCR Awesome Sauce in a time of 3:06:22 while Team Ocean Recovery won the Carbon Neutral Category (swimming and paddling on an outrigger canoe) with a time of 3:25:20.
Race director Doug Woodring was very pleased with the record turnout of 58 teams this year along with 9 solo swimmers, all of whom had to swim past The Wall:
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.