If the 2016 Rio Olympic Games were held within the next year, Poliana Okimoto would undoubtedly be one of the heavy Olympic gold medal favorites.
The slender Brazilian swimmer had an outstanding 2013 where she won a gold medal (in the showcase 10 km marathon swim), a silver medal (in the 5 km) and a team bronze medal (in the 5 km team pursuit) at the 2013 FINA World Championships.
In her native Brazil, Okimoto’s results in the open water have brought her public acclaim. Okimoto is now up for Brazil’s Athlete of the Year, a prestigious award that pits her against Brazil’s top athletes in judo, modern pentathlon, gymnastics, pool swimming and sailing.
You can vote for one of open water swimming’s most humble and successful athletes here.
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.