When The Top Swimmers In The Pool Went To The Open Water: 1971 Pan American Games
In looking through the archives of competitive pool swimming, WOWSA saw the results of the 1971 Pan American Games that were held in Cali, Colombia.
Among the open water swimming personalities – now well-known and much respected in the global open water swimming community – who competed in those races included:
- Jorge Delgado of Ecuador, a long-time and influential voice with the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and Olympic 10K Marathon Swim referee, won the 200m butterfly setting a Pan American Games record of 2:06.41
- Ron Jacks, Canada’s Olympic and national open water swimming coach, creator of COW Swimming, a website devoted to Canadian open water swimmers and coached Richard Weinberger to a bronze at the 2012 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim bronze medalist, finished 7th in the 200m butterfly in 2:13.0 and was a member of Canada’s silver medal 4x200m freestyle relay.
- Jim McConica, a prolific masters swimmer, marathon swimmer, and channel swimmer including an 8 hour 40 minute English Channel crossing in 1988 at the age of 37, won silver in the 200m freestyle (1:58.18), gold in the 400m freestyle (4:08.97), and another gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
- Sandy Neilson, a prolific open water swimming event director with the American Swimming Association and triple Olympic gold medalist from Austin, Texas, won the 100m freestyle in 1:00.60 [shown above].
All these great swimmers of the past continue providing guidance, services, and inspiration for generations to come.
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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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