Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Wednesday, August 2, 2000
COLORADO SPRINGS -- The blue waters of the Pacific will be the site of a mammoth aquatic undertaking after the September Olympic Games. Open water event
coming to HawaiiStar-Bulletin wire services
Athletes, coaches, officials and spectators will converge in Honolulu for the first World Open Water Swimming Championships beginning Oct. 29.
Open water swimming is not an Olympic event, but these inaugural championships in Hawaii could lead to the sport being added to the Games.
Originally, the meet was awarded by FINA, the world governing body for the aquatic sports, to the International Swimming Hall of Fame and was scheduled to be held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
When Dr. Sam Freas, president of ISHOF, became the swim coach at the University of Hawaii, the meet was moved to Hawaii, historically a traditional site for open water swimming. Now, USA Swimming and the world aquatic community are looking forward to going to the island's ideal climate and open water swimming conditions.
For safety and environmental purposes, city, county, state and federal organizations are working together to make the event successful. More than 400 local staff volunteers, 150 motorcraft, 40 safety personnel and 30 interpreters are being called upon to support this undertaking. An anticipated 3,000 hotel room nights and more than 1,000 airline tickets will be booked.
USA Swimming's open water team has been among the world's leaders with Russia, Italy and Australia also in the top ranks.
Their performances, along with those of athletes from some 60 other countries, will be televised by Bud Sports and syndicated internationally. Male and female athletes vying for championship status will compete in 5K, 10K and the grueling 25K races.
As a way to celebrate open water swimming, FINA has authorized adding age-division races on alternating days of the world championships. Youth as young as 10 and masters swimmers of any age may enter the 1K, 3K and 5K accompanying races.
Local organizers are Freas and Jim Anderson, longtime open water advocate and Waikiki Rough Water Swim coordinator and president.
"Hawaii provides an ideal venue and has such a rich tradition in open water swimming, a sport indigenous to Hawaii," said Freas. "For these reasons, it seemed only natural to have an event of this type in Honolulu. We need a lot of help in order to have a positive impact on the future of aquatic business coming to Hawaii."
From USA Swimming's perspective, this is the most important event of the year other than the Olympic trials and Games.
"This event will have a profound impact on how the world perceives open water swimming as a potential Olympic sport," said Chuck Wielgus, USA Swimming executive director.