The World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) Announces the 2021 WOWSA Award Nominees

Nominees from 37 countries were proposed by the public and selected by the WOWSA Board of Directors & Advisors.

Voting Begins — January 10, 2022 3 PM PST

Voting Ends — January 31, 2022 3 PM PST

Final Winner’s Announced — February 7, 2022

Event of the Year: Authentic Marathon Swim (Greece), Perhentian Island Marathon Swim (Malaysia), Olympic 10K Marathon Swim (Japan), Irish Triple Crown Of Open Water Swimming (Ireland), Around-Coronado Swim (USA), Trans Tahoe Relay (USA), Mediterranean Peace Route (Cyprus-Turkey), Rottnest Channel Swim (Australia), Tampa Bay Frogman Swim (USA), Maratona Del Golfo Capri-Napoli (Italy), Race For The Conch Eco-SeaSwim (Turks & Caicos), DC Marathon Swim (USA), Strait Of Bonifacio (Italy-France), Wörthersee Swim Austria (Austria), Asociación Mexicana De Aguas Abiertas (Mexico)

Product or Service of the Year: Hammer Head Swim Caps (USA), Goa Open Water Swimming Club (India), Ask Me Why I’m Stood Here (UK), The Swim Reaper (New Zealand), Ocean Walker Academy (Great Britain), La Morada Club (Argentina), Bruckner Chase Ocean Positive (USA), Aloo (Mexico), Radikal Swim Swimming Club (Spain), Open Water Swim Traverse (Lebanon), Hammer Head Swim Caps (USA), We Swim Wild (Great Britain), Freedom Swimmer (China-Hong Kong), Safe Sea (Israel), Amphibia Dry Mat (Great Britain), Oceans Seven: How I Cheated Death And Broke The Hardest Record In Swimming (Hungary), Maarten Van Der Weijden Foundation (Netherlands)

Performance of the Year: Anna Brown (Andorra), John Batchelder (USA), Matan Roditi (Israel), José Eduardo Do Amaral Ferreira (Brazil), Avram Iancu (Romania), Courtney Moates Paulk (USA), Krzysztof Gajewski (Poland), Défi Titicaca (France), Serge Gellé And Andrianarison Jimmy Laitsara (Madagascar), Oceane Cassignol (France), Meliah Motchman (Canada), Jordan Leckey (Ireland), Rusya – Türkiye Uluslararasi Karadeniz 320 Km Açik Deniz Yüzme Maratonu (Russia – Turkey), Jennifer Dutton (USA), Qing Li (USA)

Woman of the Year: Carina Bruwer (South Africa), Kerry Kopke (South Africa), Lexie Kelly (USA), Chloë McCardel (Australia), Maria Cotignolo (Uruguay), Kate Steels (Great Britain), Abigail Fairman (USA), Merle Liivand (Estonia), Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil), Amy Ennion (Great Britain), Abhejali Bernardová (Czech Republic), Mayra Santos (Brazil), Elaine Burrows Dillane (Ireland), Shu Pu (Hong Kong), Sarah Thomas (USA)

Man of the Year: Bogusław Ogrodnik (Poland), Kristóf Rasovszky (Hungary), Florian Wellbrock (Germany), Stève “Seal” Stievenart (France), Simon Griffiths (Great Britain), Josef Köberl (Austria), Neil Agius (Malta), Paul Georgescu (Romania), Joseph Zemaitis (USA), Dr. Jaiprakash Duble (India), Damián Blaum (Argentina), Stéphane Lecat (France), Joel Matos Ortiz (Puerto Rico), Pablo Fernández Álvarez (Spain), Andre Slade (Australia)

“Even in the midst of a pandemic where swimmers faced lockdowns, quarantines, stay-at-home orders, closed pools and limited access to beaches, swimmers found a way to enjoy and excel in their sport. Their dedication to the sport is inspiring; the goals remain audacious; and their sense of camaraderie is overwhelming.” says WOWSA Founder Steven Munatones.

The featured sponsors of the 2021 WOWSA Awards are dryrobe®, the original outdoor change robe and KAATSU, the original blood flow restriction device

The Man & Woman of the Year will receive the following prizes:

VOITED Outdoor Change Robe to maximize your outdoor adventure

TRISWIM Chlorine|Saltwater Removing Body & Hair Care Bundle

KAATSU 1-hour blood flow consultation with an Olympic swim coach

ORCA Open Water backpack, safety buoy and Killa 180° Goggles

For further information and photos of the nominees:

https://www.openwaterswimming.com/wowsa-awards-2021-vote/

About The World Open Water Swimming Association

World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) supports a global community of open water swimmers committed to safety, sportsmanship, and adventure. Our platform serves as a go-to resource for swimmers and coaches seeking events, community and education.