Open Water

How Marathon Swimming Got Into World Aquatics and Later the Olympics Marathon swimming joined FINA (now World Aquatics) fully in 1991 and the Olympic Games in 2008. This journey took advantage of the progression of the sport for the last 200 years and, perhaps more importantly, a set of key politica...

Open Water Swimming: Filling the Gap No lane lines, no walls, no perfectly controlled environment. Just athletes, water, and the elements.  For years, swimming has unintentionally created a divide between the two disciplines: pool swimming and open water swimming. Pool swimming sits at the center of...

Mariah Denigan, Ivan Puskovitch Wrap Up Sweeps at U.S. Open Water Championships The final day of the United States Open Water Championships looked much like the first two days, as Mariah Denigan and Ivan Puskovitch picked up victories in Sarasota, Florida. Already the winners of the 10k and 3k knock...

Ivan Puskovitch, Mariah Denigan Add 3k Knockout Titles at U.S. Open Water Championships Coming off victories in the 10k events, Ivan Puskovitch and Mariah Denigan added 3k knockout titles to their collections during Friday action at the United States Open Water Championships in Sarasota, Florida. Th...

USA Open Water Championships: Mariah Denigan Holds off Hansen, Twichell for 10K Title The 2026 USA Swimming Open Water Championships kicked off with the women's and men's 10K national championship Thursday in Sarasota, Florida. Olympian Mariah Denigan, now training at Ohio State, was able to hold of...

First Stop of Open Water World Cup Scheduled for Weekend in Somabay The first stop of the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup will kick off on March 27-28 in Somabay and many greats of the sport will swim in the Egyptian waters. The weekend marks the first opportunity to collect points for ...

Rip Current Distressed Swimmers Saved by Westcliff College Surf Coach Lucas Taub Westcliff College surf coach Lucas Taub didn't hesitate, and his actions saved two lives. Taub dove into the Pacific to rescue a father and daughter caught in the rip current near Oceanside, California. Video footage an...

After a dirt-biking accident left All-American swimmer Mike Nyeholt paralyzed in 1981, Swim With Mike Foundation co-founders Mike and Ron turned tragedy into triumph. Together, with the help of fellow USC swimming teammates and generous donors, they have changed the lives of 310 scholarship recipien...

World Aquatics Launches Call to Research Open Water Heat Limits World Aquatics on Tuesday released a call for updated research on heat limits for open water swim events. The world governing body is launching a Request for Proposal (RFP) to commission research on “Safe Maximum Water Temperature Limit...

Records in Open-Water Marathon Swimming: From Fastest to Most Records in pool swimming have more meaning than those in open water. Pool temperatures are generally the same (and optimal), swimmers are separated by wave dampening lane lines, no wildlife (sharks, jelly fish, eels, etc.), no adverse cur...

Swim Across America's Long Island Sound’s inaugural “Freeze Out Cancer” Cold Water Super Splash takes place on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., at the Orienta Beach Club in Mamaroneck, New York, as participants take the plunge tinto Long Island Sound to help make waves to fight ...

What It is Like to Be a USA Swimming Open Water Official By Tom Lombardo and Mike Murphy Becoming a USA Swimming open water official is a unique journey into a world where swimming meets adventure, unpredictability, and a deep commitment to athlete safety. Unlike pool swimming, open water events unf...

How the International Marathon Swimming Hall (IMSHOF) of Fame Works By Ned Denison There are thousands of “Halls of Fame” in operation around the world. While many focus on sports, they also include other fields - Automotive, Barbecue, Black Filmmakers, International Latin Music, Quilters, Australia...

CSCAA Open Water Nationals Provide Challenge, Opportunity for College Swimmers You could feel the energy in Saratosa, Florida, radiating from every square foot of water. Athletes lined up, eager to compete for their school. Coaches stood around, anxiously awaiting their swimmers’ performances. A hos...

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Gertrude Ederle and Her English Channel Crossing Now that 2026 has arrived, we can embark on a year-long celebration of Gertrude Ederle, who became the first woman to cross the English Channel a century ago. One hundred years ago, Gertrude Ederle became the first...

Swim & Tell: Introducing the ORCA Awards On Episode Six of the Swim & Tell podcast, host Sophia Knapp spoke with two leaders working to change the way we experience age-group swimming. Doug Fonder, President and CEO of the International Swim Coaches Association, and Lane One: Making Waves Podcast h....

Florian Wellbrock, Moesha Johnson crowned World Aquatics Open Water Swimmers of the Year Florian Wellbrock and Moesha Johnson were named by World Aquatics as its Open Water Swimmers of the Year for 2025. The choice for Wellbrock was a no-brainer after his clean sweep of titles at the World Aquatics ...

World Triathlon Aims for T100 Olympic Inclusion for 2032 Games World Triathlon is pushing to add the T100 distance to the Olympics as soon as the 2032 Games in Brisbane. The current Olympic distance, which is raced in the World Triathlon Championship Series, is a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bik...

Open Water Swimming Qualification Process Announced for 2028 Olympic Games The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Aquatics have announced the qualification process for open-water swimming at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Open-water competition will be held in 10-kilometer event...

Rice Women Win Third Straight CSCAA Open Water Title The Rice women’s team won the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America Open Water Championships Saturday, their third straight title. Grand Valley State won the men’s title at the meet in Sarasota, Fla. Rice has owned the young e...