Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

Prior to 1991, open water swimming was not part of the FINA world championship schedule.

But in 1991, the open water swimmers took part in the world championships Down Under along with the pool swimmers, water polo players, divers and synchronized swimmers. It was a modest start with only one race (25 km).

The 25 km race was start of something big that would eventually lead 14 years later to a decision by the International Olympic Committee to add the aquatic discipline to the Olympic program in 2008. Over the years, these have been the podium finishers at each of the world championship events:

1991 FINA World Championships in Perth, Australia:

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Chad Hundeby (USA) 5:01:45.78
Silver: Sergio Chariandini (Italy) 5:03:18.81
Bronze: David O’Brien (Australia) 5:08:53.35

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia) 5:21:05.53
Silver: Martha Jahn (USA) 5:25:16.67
Bronze: Karen Burton (USA) 5:28:22.74

1994 FINA World Swimming Championships in Rome, Italy:

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Greg Streppel (Canada) 5:35.26
Silver: David Bates (AUS) 5:36.31
Bronze: Aleksey Akatyev (Russia) 5:37.26

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Melissa Cunningham (Australia) 5:48.25
Silver: Rita Kovács (Hungary) 5:50.13
Bronze: Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia) 5:53.12

1998 FINA World Championships in Perth, Australia (80 swimmers from 26 nations):

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Aleksey Akatyev (Russia) 55:18.6
Silver: Ky Hurst (Australia) 55:24.9
Bronze: Luca Baldini (Italy) 55:37.4

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Erica Rose (USA) 59:23.5
Silver: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 1:00:58.5
Bronze: Peggy Büchse (Germany) 1:01:05.8

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Aleksey Akatyev (Russia) 5:05:42.1
Silver: David Meca (Spain) 5:07:22.9
Bronze: Gabriel Chaillou (Argentina) 5:07:52.6

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Tobie Smith (USA) 5:31:20.1
Silver: Peggy Büchse (Germany) 5:32:19.2
Bronze: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 5:38.06.9

Team 5 km
Gold: USA (John Flanagan + Austin Ramirez + Erica Rose) 2:52:12.2
Silver: Russia (Aleksey Akatyev + Evgueni Bezroutchenko + Olga Gouseva) 2:52:16.7
Bronze: Italy (Luca Baldini + Fabio Venturini + Valeria Casprini) 2:52:41.6

Team 25 km
Gold: Italy (Claudio Gargaro + Fabrizio Pescatori + Valeria Casprini) 16:10:18.2
Silver: Australia (Grant Robinson + Mark Saliba + Tracey Knowles) 16:22:54.3
Bronze: USA (Tobie Smith + Nathan Stooke + Chuck Wiley) 16:46:13.3

2000 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships on Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (164 swimmers from 34 countries):

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Peggy Büchse (Germany) 1:02:36.29
Silver: Kalyn Keller (USA) 1:02:40.42
Bronze: Viola Valli (Italy) 1:02:41.18

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Yevgeny Bezruchenko (Russia) 59:18.23
Silver: David Meca (Spain) 59:20.64
Bronze: Luca Baldini (Italy) 59:20.86

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 2:06:44.44
Silver: Melissa Pasquali (Italy) 2:07:38.85
Bronze: Peggy Büchse (Germany) 2:08:00.30

Men’s 10 km
Gold: David Meca (Spain) 1:57:10.50
Silver: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) 1:57:14.44
Bronze: Yevgeny Bezruchenko (Russia) 1:57:15.02

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 5:30:04.07
Silver: Viola Valli (Italy) 5:30:06.06
Bronze: Angela Maurer (Germany) 5:30:08.06

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Yuri Kudinov (Russia) 4:55:51.12
Silver: David Meca (Spain) 4:56:11.42
Bronze: Aleksey Akatyev (Russia) 4:57:03.12

2002 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt (89 swimmers from 26 countries):

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Viola Valli (Italy) 56:52
Silver: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 57:01
Bronze: Hanna Miluska (Switzerland) 58:13

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Luca Baldini (Italy) 51:49.78
Silver: Stefano Rubando (Italy) 51:51.20
Bronze: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 51:52.43

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Britta Kamrau (Germany) 1:56:42.25
Silver: Viola Valli (Italy) 1:56:42.28
Bronze: Angela Maurer (Germany) 1:56:49

Men’s 10 km
Gold: Ivgueni Kochkarov (Russia) 1:49:30
Silver: Simone Ercoli (Italy) 1:49:34
Bronze: Vladimir Dyatchin (Russia) 1:49:35

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 6:11:21
Silver: Angela Maurer (Germany) 6:11:22.43
Bronze: Britta Kamrau (Germany) 6:11:22.70
Men’s 25 km
Gold: Yuri Kudinov (Russia) 5:39:14
Silver: Anton Sanatchev (Russia) 5:41:14
Bronze: Gabriel Chaillou (Argentina) 5:51:16

2003 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain:

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Evgeni Kochkarov (Russia) 53.11.9
Silver: Christian Hein (Germany) 53.13.9
Bronze: Vladimir Dyatchin (Russia) 53.14.8

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Viola Valli (Italy) 57.01.2
Silver: Jana Pechanová (Czech Republic) 57.03.9
Bronze: Britta Kamrau (Germany) 59.06.4

Men’s 10 km
Gold: Vladimir Dyatchin (Russia) 1:50.58.8
Silver: Christian Hein (Germany) 1:51.06.5
Bronze: David Meca (Spain) 1:51.08.4

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Viola Valli (Italy) 1:59.49.9
Silver: Angela Maurer (Germany) 1:59.51.1
Bronze: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 1:59.53.0

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Yuri Kudinov (Russia) 5:02.20.0
Silver: David Meca (Spain) 5:02.20.4
Bronze: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) 5:02.20.6
Women’s 25 km
Gold: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 5:35.43.5
Silver: Britta Kamrau (Germany) 5:35.46.1
Bronze: Angela Maurer (Germany) 5:35.46.5

2004 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (90 swimmers from 26 countries):

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Larisa Ilchenko (Russia) 1:03:11.9
Silver: Ksenia Popova (Russia) 1:03:43.8
Bronze: Sara McLarty (USA) 1:03:52.9

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Grant Cleland (Australia) 56:52.9
Silver: Christian Hein (Germany) 56:54.1
Bronze: Josh Santacaterina (Australia) 56:55.5

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Britta Kamrau (Germany) 2:07:51.7
Silver: Jana Pechanová (Czech Republic) 2:07:52.8
Bronze: Lauren Arndt (Australia) 2:07:53.5

Men’s 10 km
Gold: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 1:54:38.0
Silver: Alan Bircher (Great Britain) 1:54:44.8
Bronze: Danill Serebrennikov (Russia) 1:55:02.8

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Britta Kamrau (Germany) 5:43:09.6
Silver: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 5:43:09.7
Bronze: Natalia Pankina (Russia) 5:43:14.4

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Brendan Capell (Australia) 5:05:39.6
Silver: Yuri Kudinov (Russia) 5:07:05.2
Bronze: Evgueni Kochkarov (Russia) 5:07:59.7

2005 FINA World Championships in Montreal, Canada:

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 51:17.2
Silver: Chip Peterson (USA) 51:18.8
Bronze: Simone Ercoli (Italy) 51:18.9

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Larisa Ilchenko (Russia) 55:40.1
Silver: Margy Keefe (USA) 55:44.3
Bronze: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 55:46.6

Men’s 10 km
Gold: Chip Peterson (USA) 1:46:38.1
Silver: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 1:46:45.2
Bronze: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) 1:46:50.4

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 1:56:00.5
Silver: Frederica Vitale (Italy) 1:56:02.5
Bronze: Britta Kamrau (Germany) 1:56:04.0

Men’s 25 km
Gold: David Meca (Spain) 5:00:21.4
Silver: Brendan Capell (Australia) 5:00:23.6
Bronze: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) 5:00:28.4

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 5:25:06.6
Silver: Britta Kamrau (Germany) 5:25:06.9
Bronze: Laura la Piana (Italy) 5:25:11.5

2006 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Naples, Italy:

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Larisa Ilchenko (Russia) 1:08:19.7
Silver: Poliana Okimoto (Brazil) 1:08:27.6
Bronze: Britta Kamrau-Corestein (Germany) 1:08:46.3

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 1:04:32.3
Silver: Chip Peterson (USA) 1:04:32.7
Bronze: Simone Ercoli (Italy) 1:04:35.9

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Larisa Ilchenko (Russia) 2:19:40.9
Silver: Poliana Okimoto (Brazil) 2:19:59.3
Bronze: Ksenia Popova (Russia) 2:19:59.8
Men’s 10 km
Gold: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 2:10:39.4
Silver: Valerio Cleri (Italy) 2:10:40.5
Bronze: Evgeny Drattsev (Russia) 2:10:40.7

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Angela Maurer (Germany) 6:22:46.9
Silver: Natalia Pankina (Russia) 6:22:47.8
Bronze: Ksenia Popova (Russia) 6:22:51.3

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Josh Santacaterina (Australia) 5:47:34.1
Silver: Yuri Kudinov (Russia) 5:48:56.9
Bronze: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) 5:49:00.2

2007 FINA World Championships at St. Kilda Beach near Melbourne, Australia:

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 56:49.6
Silver: Evgeny Drattsev (Russia) 56:50.7
Bronze: Spyridon Gianniotis (Greece) 56:56.6

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Larisa Ilchenko (Russia) 1:00:41.3
Silver: Ekaterina Seliverstova (Russia) 1:00:43.6
Bronze: Kate Brookes-Peterson (Australia) 1:00:47.9

Men’s 10 km
Gold: Vladimir Dyatchin (Russia) 1:55:32.52
Silver: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 1:55:32.58
Bronze: Evgeny Drattsev (Russia) 1:55:47.31

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Larisa Ilchenko (Russia) 2:03:57.9
Silver: Cassandra Patten (Great Britain) 2:03:58.9
Bronze: Kate Brookes-Peterson (Australia) 2:03:59.5

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Yuri Kudinov (Russia) 5:16:45.55
Silver: Marco Formentini (Italy) 5:18:36.80
Bronze: Mohamed Zanaty (Egypt) 5:19:23.23

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Britta Kamrau (Germany) 5:37:11.66
Silver: Kalyn Keller (USA) 5:39:39.62
Silver: Ksenia Popova (Russia) 5:39:51.51

2008 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Sevilla, Spain:

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Larisa Ilchenko (Russia) 1:00:04.6
Silver: Ekaterina Seliverstova (Russia) 1:00:07.8
Bronze: Chloe Sutton (USA) 1:00:09.9

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 54:57.3
Silver: Vladimir Dyatchin (Russia) 54:58.8
Bronze: Maarten van der Weijden (Netherlands) 54:59.8

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Larisa Ilchenko (Russia) 2:02:02.7
Silver: Cassandra Patten (Great Britain) 2:02:05.8
Bronze: Yurema Requena (Spain) 2:02:07.2

Men’s 10 km
Gold: Vladimir Dyatchin (Russia) 1:53:21.0
Silver: David Davies (Great Britain) 1:53:21.3
Bronze: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 1:53:27.2

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Ksenia Popova (Russia) 5:27:48.2
Silver: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands) 5:27:50.3
Bronze: Natalya Pankina (Russia) 5:27:53.9

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Maarten van der Weijden (Netherlands) 5:04:01.1
Silver: Mark Warkentin (USA) 5:04:01.6
Bronze: Yuri Kudinov (Russia) 5:04:02.4

2009 FINA World Championships at Ostia, Rome, Italy:

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Thomas Lurz (Germany)
Silver: Spyridon Gianniotis (Greece)
Bronze: Chad Ho (South Africa)

Men’s 10 km
Gold: Thomas Lurz (Germany)
Silver: Andrew Gemmell (USA)
Bronze: Fran Crippen (USA)

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Valerio Cleri (Italy)
Silver: Trent Grimsey (Australia)
Bronze: Vladimir Dyatchin (Russia)

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Melissa Gorman (Australia)
Silver: Larisa Ilchenko (Russia)
Bronze: Poliana Okimoto (Brazil)

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Keri-Anne Payne (Great Britain)
Silver: Ekatarina Seliverstova (Russia)
Bronze: Martina Grimaldi (Italy)

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Angela Maurer (Germany)
Silver: Anna Uvarova (Russia)
Bronze: Federica Vitale (Italy)
2011 FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China:

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 56:16.2
Silver: Spyridon Gianniotis (Greece) 56:17.4
Bronze: Evgeny Drattsev (Russia) 56:18.5

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Swann Oberson (Switzerland) 1:00:39.7
Silver: Aurélie Muller (France) 1:00:40.1
Bronze: Ashley Twichell (USA) 1:00:40.2

Men’s 10 km
Gold: Spyridon Gianniotis (Greece) 1:54:24.7
Silver: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 1:54:27.2
Bronze: Sergey Bolshakov (Russia) 1:54:31.8

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Keri-Anne Payne (Great Britain) 2:01:58.1
Silver: Martina Grimaldi (Italy) 2:01:59.9
Bronze: Marianna Lymperta (Greece) 2:02:01.8

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) 5:10:39.8
Silver: Vladimir Dyatchin (Russia) 5:11:15.6
Bronze: Csaba Gercsak (Hungary) 5:11:18.1
Women’s 25 km
Gold: Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil) 5:29:22.9
Silver: Angela Maurer (Germany) 5:29:25.0
Bronze: Alice Franco (Italy) 5:29:30.8

Team Pursuit 5 km
Gold: United States (Andrew Gemmell + Sean Ryan + Ashley Twichell) 57:00.6
Silver: Australia (Melissa Gorman + Rhys Mainstone + Ky Hurst) 57:01.8
Bronze: Germany (Jan Wolfgarten + Thomas Lurz + Isabelle Härle) 57:44.2

2013 FINA World Championships in Moll de la Fusta, Barcelona, Spain:

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Oussama Mellouli (Tunisia) 53:30.4
Silver: Eric Hedlin (Canada) 53:49.3
Bronze: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 53:51.0

Women’s 5 km
Gold: Haley Anderson (USA) 56:34.2
Silver: Poliana Okimoto (Brazil) 56:34.4
Bronze: Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil) 56:44.4

Men’s 10 km
Gold: Spyridon Gianniotis (Greece) 1:49:11.8
Silver: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 1:49:14.5
Bronze: Oussama Mellouli (Tunisia) 1:49:19.2

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Poliana Okimoto (Brazil) 1:58:19.2
Silver: Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil) 1:58:19.5
Bronze: Angela Maurer (Germany) 1:58:20.2

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Thomas Lurz (Germany) 4:47:27.0
Silver: Brian Ryckeman (Belgium) 4:47:27.4
Bronze: Evgeny Drattsev (Russia) 4:47:28.1

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Martina Grimaldi (Italy) 5:07:19.7
Silver: Angela Maurer (Germany) 5:07:19.8
Bronze: Eva Fabian (USA) 5:07:20.4

Team Pursuit 5 km
Gold: Germany (Thomas Lurz + Christian Reichert + Isabelle Härle) 52:54.9
Silver: Greece (Antonios Fokaidis + Spyridon Gianniotis + Kalliopi Araouzou) 54:03.3
Bronze: Brazil (Allan do Carmo + Samuel de Bona + Poliana Okimoto) 54:03.5

2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia:

Men’s 5 km
Gold: Chad Ho (South Africa) 55:17.6
Silver: Rob Muffels (Germany) 55:17.6
Bronze: Matteo Furlan (Italy) 55:20.0

Women 5 km
Gold: Haley Anderson (USA) 58:48.4
Silver: Kalliopi Araouzou (Greece) 58:49.8
Bronze: Finnia Wunram (Germany) 58:51.0

Men’s 10 km
Gold: Jordan Wilimovsky (USA) 1:49:48.2
Silver: Ferry Weertman (Netherlands) 1:50:00.3
Bronze: Spyridon Gianniotis (Greece) 1:50:00.7

Women’s 10 km
Gold: Aurélie Muller (France) 1:58:04.3
Silver: Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands) 1:58:06.7
Brazil: Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil) 1:58:26.5

Men’s 25 km
Gold: Simone Ruffini (Italy) 4:53:10.7
Silver: Alex Meyer (USA) 4:53:15.1
Bronze: Matteo Furlan (Italy) 4:54:38.0

Women’s 25 km
Gold: Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil) 5:13:47.3
Silver: Anna Olasz (Hungary) 5:14:13.4
Bronze: Angela Maurer (Germany) 5:15:07.6

Team 5 km
Gold: Germany (Rob Muffels + Christian Reichert + Isabelle Härle) 55:14.4
Silver: Brazil (Allan do Carmo + Diogo Villarinho + Ana Marcela Cunha) 55:31.2
Silver: Netherlands (Marcel Schouten + Ferry Weertman + Sharon van Rouwendaal) 55:31.2

Copyright © 2016 by World Open Water Swimming Association