Wörthersee Swim 2023: Austria Hosts 27 Nations and Introduces Challenging 34 km Distance
On the shores of Lake Wörthersee in Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria, the sixth edition of the Woerthersee Swim unfolded on September 1st and 2nd. This event attracted swimmers from 27 nations, all competing in a range of distances, from the 1500 m sprint to the newly introduced 34 k marathon.
The event included distances such as the 1500 m sprint, 1000 m butterfly, 3×1000 m relay, 3 km, 5 km, 10 km, and 17 km. Swimmers had the option to compete with or without a wetsuit. The highlight of this year was the introduction of the 34 km distance, a challenging swim from Klagenfurt to the other end of Lake Wörthersee and back. Limited to only 8 participants, each swimmer was accompanied by a boat, ensuring individual support throughout the race. The competition adhered to international marathon swimming regulations.
The 34 km Wörthersee Swim saw exceptional performances. Grzegorz Bednarczyk from Poland, representing Unlimited Sport 2.0, got the top spot with an impressive time of 10:49:26. Not far behind, Kelly Harrigan from the USA, swimming for Mesa Aquatic Club, emerged as the leading female swimmer, completing the distance in 11:39:07. Austria’s Gerald Brettenhofer, representing KSV Tri Team Kapfenberg, secured the third position with a time of 11:52:38.
Team Umea Simsällskap from Sweden emerging as the champions of the Woerthersee-Swim Team Cup. They were closely followed by Team D Sports Lab Malta and Team Malta, securing the second and third positions.
Bojan Korsika from Slovenia, at the age of 68, confidently completed the 17 km distance in the 56+ age group. His achievement received accolades not just from the organizing team but from all participants.
The Swedish swimmers made a big impact at the event. In the women’s 17 km and men’s 10 km distances, they secured the top spots. All podium places in the 1000 m butterfly category went to Sweden.
The fastest swimmers of 2023 were:
- 17k: Bengtson Adrian -Johansson-Sponseller Can.
- 10k: Lidström Henrik – Östberg Tyra
- 5k: Mödinger Lars – Potapankova Kateryna
- 3k: Björk Albert – Lindvall Tuva
The event concluded with an award ceremony. Here are some of the race results.
10 km Freestyle Results (Without Wetsuit)
| Position | Bib | Nationality | Name | Year of Birth | Team/Town | Time | Pace | Gender | Age Group Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 111 | DEU | Helmchen Jürgen | 1965 | – | 02:27:10 | 14:43 | Male | 1/Master2 56+ M |
| 2 | 110 | DEU | Hackel Manuela | 1979 | – | 02:52:49 | 17:16 | Female | 1/Master 40-55 F |
| 3 | 101 | TUR | Baysal Erdem | 1988 | – | 03:17:21 | 19:44 | Male | 1/Elite 30-39 M |
10 km Freestyle Results (With Wetsuit)
| Position | Bib | Nationality | Name | Year of Birth | Team/Town | Time | Pace | Gender | Age Group Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 116 | SWE | Lidström Henrik | 2003 | Team Sweden | 02:05:57 | 12:35 | Male | 1/Sport 16-29 M |
| 2 | 123 | DEU | Tophoven Jens | 1966 | – | 02:23:36 | 14:21 | Male | 1/Master2 56+ M |
| 3 | 120 | SWE | Östberg Tyra | 2004 | umessimsällskap / Team Sweden | 02:29:26 | 14:56 | Female | 1/Sport 16-29 F |
17 km Freestyle Results (Without Wetsuit)
| Position | Bib | Nationality | Name | Year of Birth | Team/Town | Time | Pace | Gender | Age Group Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 57 | ITA | Dálessandro Giuseppe | 1974 | – | 05:05:58 | 17:59 | Male | 1/Master 40-55 M |
| 2 | 87 | DNK | Norboge Lene | 1963 | – | 05:12:52 | 18:24 | Female | 1/Master2 56+ F |
| 3 | 56 | CUB | Castedo AlexisRodriguez | 1967 | – | 05:20:25 | 18:50 | Male | 1/Master2 56+ M |
17 km Freestyle Results (With Wetsuit)
| Position | Bib | Nationality | Name | Year of Birth | Team/Town | Time | Pace | Gender | Age Group Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 53 | SWE | Bengtson Adrian | 1979 | Team Sweden | 04:25:10 | 15:35 | Male | 1/Master 40-55 M |
| 2 | 74 | DEU | Hohlen Marco | 1980 | – | 04:42:31 | 16:37 | Male | 2/Master 40-55 M |
| 3 | 76 | SWE | Johansson-Sponseller Can | 1979 | umea simsällskap / Team Sweden | 04:45:42 | 16:48 | Female | 1/Master 40-55 F |
34 km Freestyle Results (Without Wetsuit)
| Position | Bib | Nationality | Name | Year of Birth | Team/Town | Time | Pace | Gender | Age Group Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | POL | Bednarczyk Grzegorz | 1986 | Unlimited Sport 2.0 | 10:49:26 | 19:06 | Male | 1/Elite 30-39 M |
| 2 | 7 | USA | Harrigan Kelly | 1984 | Mesa Aquatic Club | 11:39:07 | 20:33 | Female | 1/Elite 30-39 F |
| 3 | 3 | AUT | Brettenhofer Gerald | 1979 | KSV Tri Team Kapfenberg | 11:52:38 | 20:57 | Male | 1/Master 40-55 M |
| 4 | 6 | CHE | Dagorov Pavel | 1969 | – | 12:55:19 | 22:48 | Male | 2/Master 40-55 M |
34 km Freestyle Results (With Wetsuit)
| Position | Bib | Nationality | Name | Year of Birth | Team/Town | Time | Pace | Gender | Age Group Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | GBR | Clark Lauran | 1975 | – | 10:30:08 | 18:32 | Female | 1/Master 40-55 F |
| 2 | 2 | DNK | Bernt Jonas | 1979 | CopenWater / STT | 10:49:26 | 19:06 | Male | 1/Master 40-55 M |
The organizers, participants, and spectators are already looking forward to the next edition in 2024.
Photo credits: Eric Demczuk
