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Monday, October 30, 2000
Oahu hosts Sam Freas is trying to do the impossible -- build a snowball in Hawaii.
world’s best open-
water swimmers
UH coach Freas hopes this
will be the first of many
international competitionsBy Ben Henry
Special to the Star-BulletinWith this week's inaugural Federation Internationale De Natation Amateur World Open Water Swimming Championships in Waikiki, the University of Hawaii swimming and diving coach and president of the International Swimming Hall of Fame says the sport's worldwide community has its eye on Hawaii, and a good showing may lead to more opportunities to host other events.
"My plan when I came here was to make the University of Hawaii good, then bring major events and have an economic impact on the community," Freas said. "Then more support would come for the aquatic sports, then it would snowball.
"It's working."
Reviving swimming in Hawaii, which hasn't sent a representative to the Olympic Games since 1976, has been a struggle for the Philadelphia native.
"This (event) is planting a seed that will make Hawaii the amateur sports mecca that it should be," Freas said. "It's a lost gold mine that needs to be resurrected again in the world of swimming."
If Freas' snowball gets big enough, he says it could possibly acquire Hawaii a shot at someday hosting bigger events, like the Pan American, Goodwill and even Olympic Games.
This event already has landed Hawaii another gig, beating out Stanford University for the FINA Masters Championships in 2002. Freas said he expects more than 2,000 participants in this event, which is the world championship for swimmers 25 and older.
"It was an excellent decision to choose Hawaii for these championships," said FINA honorary treasurer and International Olympic Committee member Julio Maglione of Uruguay during the opening ceremony last night at the Hale Koa Hotel.
Dale Neuburger, president of USA Swimming, agrees.
"Everyone in the world knows the great tradition of swimming in Hawaii,'' said Neuburger. "For the world's swimmers, it's regarded as paradise."
If it weren't for Freas, the Open Water Championships wouldn't have made it to the Pacific.
"This event was supposed to be in Fort Lauderdale (Florida)," Freas said. "But when I moved to Hawaii, with our water and our tradition, it was ridiculous to have it in Fort Lauderdale, so I brought it here."
Said Neuburger: "(He) was the prime mover in making this event possible in Hawaii. His efforts on behalf of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the state of Hawaii were extraordinary."
Thirty-four countries and more than 200 swimmers are participating in this week's FINA championships.
"It's a huge deal to get the publicity and this huge international turnout," said Hawaii Kai's John Flanagan, who added that this is the biggest international event this year in the United States. Hawaii's only participant in the FINA championships, Flanagan is considered a favorite in tomorrow's 5-kilometer race.
Flanagan, who also coaches Punahou swimmers, says landing an event of this caliber goes a long way in generating local interest in swimming.
"Myself being a coach, that is real important to me," he said. "It's been a long time since Hawaii has been represented internationally.
Hopefully this will get more kids encouraged."
NOTES:
Some 25 UH swimmers will be participating in the Hawaiian International Open Water Championships,being held in conjunction with the FINA championships this week. The FINA's 5K championships are tomorrow, the 10K on Thursday and the 25K on Saturday. All races begin and end at the beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. ... The IOC is considering the sport for the 2004 Olympics.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
