WOWSA Announces Its 2013 Awards
The World Open Water Swimming Association nominated 60 individuals, products, services and association for its annual WOWSA Awards in four categories: * World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year
* World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year
* World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year
* World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year (International Ice Swimming Association)
Every year the luminaries of the sport are identified through nominations and the public votes on who inspires them in an online vote. Over the years, many of the most courageous, eclectic and fascinating personalities in the sport have been nominated and voted upon. This year was no different as the following individuals were selected by popular vote:
* World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year: Pádraig Mallon (Ireland)
* World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year: Olga Kozydub (Russia)
* World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year: Bering Strait Swim (international)
* World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year: International Ice Swimming Association (South Africa)
Irish channel swimmer, ice swimmer and event organizer Pádraig Mallon joined the following World Open Water Swimming Men of the Year:
*2008: Randy Nutt (USA)
*2009: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
*2010: Marcos Díaz (Dominican Republic)
*2011: Jamie Patrick (USA)
*2012: Stephen Redmond (Ireland)
Russian professional marathon swimmer Olga Kozydub joined the following World Open Water Swimming Women of the Year:
*2008: Edith van Dijk (Netherlands)
*2009: Poliana Okimoto (Brazil)
*2010: Anne Marie Ward (Ireland)
*2011: Pilar Geijo (Argentina)
*2012: Annaleise Carr (Canada)
The 121-member team of the Bering Strait Swim relay joined the following World Open Water Swimming Performances of the Year:
*2009: Andrew Smilley (Cayman Islands)
*2010: Ventura Deep Six (USA)
*2011: Nejib Belhedi (Tunisia)
*2012: Juan Ignacio Martínez Fernández-Villamil (Spain)
The governing body of ice swimming from South Africa International Ice Swimming Association joined the following World Open Water Swimming Offerings of the Year:
*2012: SWIM Channel by Patrick Winkler (Brazil)
Photo shows a high-five relay exchange among swimmers of the Bering Strait Swim team.
Copyright © 2014 by World Open Water Swimming Association
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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