Ferry Weertman is the king of open-water marathon swimming. After a stunning finish in Copacabana Bay at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, he managed to hit the finishing line before Greece’s Spyridon Giannotis, who had overtaken him a few moments earlier in the final chute. He had to call his friends in the Netherlands in order to believe his Olympic victory was true. Since then, he has followed up on his success, becoming the 2017 world champion in the waters of Lake Balaton, Hungary, before being crowned European champion in Glasgow’s Loch Lomond in 2018.
At the Gwangju World Championships in Korea, he failed to reach the podium in the 10km, the only Olympic distance, but his 7th place finish earned him one of 10 qualifying spots for the Tokyo 2020 Games. “I have mixed feelings,†he explained after the race. “I was aiming for a medal, of course. But I’m glad I qualified for the Games. I was feeling good, but it was hard getting my head up during the final two laps.â€
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‘Shame on us’: US anti-doping chief says system failed Horton
Travis Tygart, the head of the American anti-doping agency USADA, said he felt great sympathy for athletes like Horton and Scotsman Duncan Scott, who followed suit just a few nights later when he refused to have his photo taken – or shake hands with – Sun.
Both Horton and Scott were accused of poor sportsmanship and a degree of sour grapes but Tygart said he understood the frustrations of the athletes and that a clunky, slow-moving system was to blame for the entire mess.
“Shame on the system… and we’re part of the system,” Tygart said. “It’s a part that we don’t have control over but it does reflect on all of us trying to fight for clean sport. Shame on us for putting athletes in a position where they had to protest and not join the podium.
“That’s not their fault… that’s our fault and we should take responsibility for putting them in that position. Good on them for standing up when the system has let them down.”
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No swimming advisories issued for Sebastian Inlet State Park, Jaycee Park in St. Lucie County
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Gold-medalist swimmer and Honda Sport Award winner Lilly King’s important reminder
Gold medal swimmer and 2019 Honda Cup finalist Lilly King shares the heartfelt story behind a memento that reminds her to cherish the little things in life.
Since 1987, Honda and the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) have honored the nation’s top women athletes who have demonstrated excellence in sports, academics and community service.
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The Cream City Classic: Milwaukee’s own open water swim
Milwaukee Water Commons believes that everyone has a right to fishable, swimmable rivers and lakes, and that is why they organize and host the Cream City Classic.
Find out more about Milwaukee Water Commons and the Cream City Classic at https://www.milwaukeewatercommons.org/
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California high school water polo team filmed singing Nazi song
The Daily Beast reports that a water polo team from a California high school sang Nazi songs during an awards ceremony.
Via BoingBoing, see also ABC 7 Eyewitness News
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Get to Know: MFD Rescue Swimmer Team
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Swimmer 0 vs. 1 Gymnast (Epic Fail)
After swimming for 157 days (1,780 miles) I’m now back enjoying training with no set goal (purely training for the love of it) and will be documenting my athletic adventures as I try new sports and catch up with old friends back on land. This reunion with my ‘high bar’ brobarian (and Olympic legend) Nile Wilson was LONG overdue and did not disappoint (although my hands didn’t enjoy seeing him again, haha)
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Man to swim across Chesapeake Bay for kids with special needs
A Virginia Beach man has spent months prepping to swim across Chesapeake Bay on Sept. 5 to raise money for people with special needs.
Robert Cass said he will  swim between 11 and 14 hours from the Eastern Shore to Buoy 44 in hopes of raising $50,000 for a non-profit that helps people with special needs compete in endurance events, WTKR reported.
“Today’s just a regular training day, run of the mill,†Cass while during a break from training Thursday. “A little bumpy out there today, but we’re training to swim across the bay for Ainsley’s Angels… to buy special-needs wheelchairs or race chairs so these kids can participate in races.â€
See WTVR