World Open Water Swimming Association Celebrates the 2024 WOWSA Awards Winners

In a celebration of endurance, courage, and global community, the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) proudly honors the exceptional achievements of athletes, organizers, and contributors in the open water swimming world through the 2024 WOWSA Awards. Recognizing excellence across six categories, these awards highlight those who have significantly advanced the sport over the past year.

This year, 849 individuals nominated 177 remarkable candidates. The 83-member WOWSA Awards Voting Academy and Advisory Board carefully evaluated the nominations, narrowing them down to 10 finalists per category. The final winners emerged through a combination of Academy votes and over 6000 public votes, underscoring the community’s active engagement in celebrating its most outstanding members.

Highlighting the Winners

WOWSA Man of the Year

1st Place (Gold): Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
Completed the Oceans Seven challenge in 173 days and set the fastest cumulative time for the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming (22h 8m 46s), surpassing the previous record by over 2 hours.

2nd Place (Silver): Neil Agius (Malta)
Set a world record for the longest unassisted, current-neutral ocean swim, covering 142.3 km around Malta and Gozo in 60h 35m 4s.

3rd Place (Bronze): Brian Foster (Ireland)
Became the youngest person to swim the North Channel, completing a historic two-way crossing in 24h 50m 13s.

WOWSA Woman of the Year

1st Place (Gold): Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands)
Made history as the first swimmer to win two Olympic 10km gold medals, securing victory at the Paris Olympics and earning double gold at the World Aquatics Championships.

2nd Place (Silver): Melanie Barratt (UK)
Became the first blind woman to swim the English Channel, completing the crossing in 12h 20m—significantly faster than expected.

3rd Place (Bronze): Amy Appelhans Gubser (USA)
First person to swim from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands (29.7 miles) in 17h 1m, navigating treacherous, cold, shark-inhabited waters.

Performance of the Year

1st Place (Gold): Neil Agius (Malta)
Set a world record for the longest unassisted, current-neutral ocean swim, covering 142.3 km around Malta and Gozo in 60h 35m 4s.

2nd Place (Silver): Brian Foster (Ireland)
Youngest person to swim the North Channel and first male swimmer to complete a two-way North Channel crossing.

3rd Place (Bronze): Amy Appelhans Gubser (USA)
Completed a 29.7-mile swim from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands in 17h 1m.

Adaptive Performance of the Year

1st Place (Gold): Jiya Rai (India)
At 16 years old, became the first girl with Autism Spectrum Disorder to swim across the English Channel, finishing in 17h 25m.

2nd Place (Silver): Melanie Barratt (UK)
First blind woman to swim the English Channel, completing the crossing in 12h 20m.

3rd Place (Bronze): Jonty Warneken (UK)
First para-athlete to complete a solo swim around the island of Jersey (56 km in 11h 33m), overcoming rough seas and technical challenges.

Event of the Year

1st Place (Gold): UltraSwim 33.3 (UK)
A multi-stage endurance swim covering 33.3 km over a long weekend in breathtaking locations across Europe.

2nd Place (Silver): Batalla de Rande (Spain)
A 27-km open water event in the Ria de Vigo, passing under the iconic Rande Bridge.

3rd Place (Bronze): Port to Pub (Australia)
A challenging 19.7 km and 25 km ultramarathon event from North Fremantle to Rottnest Island.

Product or Service of the Year

1st Place (Gold): Young Woman & The Sea (USA)
A biographical sports film telling the story of Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel.

2nd Place (Silver): Julian Critchlow English Channel Database (UK)
A comprehensive database documenting thousands of English Channel solo swims from 1875 to today.

3rd Place (Bronze): Ice Swimming Adventure Expedition to Antarctica (South Africa)
An expedition led by Ram Barkai of the International Ice Swimming Association, where 12 swimmers braved Antarctic waters.

Global Representation

The 60 nominees in the 2024 WOWSA Awards represented 24 countries, showcasing the truly international nature of open water swimming. This year’s nominees hailed from Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, UK, and the USA. Their remarkable achievements reflect the sport’s growing prominence and inspire swimmers worldwide.

Honoring Excellence with Hasty Awards

WOWSA extends its gratitude to Hasty Awards, the official Awards Sponsor of the 2024 WOWSA Awards. Hasty Awards has played a vital role in honoring achievements in competitive swimming, and we appreciate their generous support in recognizing the global open water community.

Celebrating the Open Water Swimming Community

“The WOWSA Awards honor the extraordinary individuals whose dedication and resilience shape the global open water swimming community,” said Quinn Fitzgerald, WOWSA Executive Director. “These nominees have made a profound impact on the sport, and we are privileged to celebrate them as true ambassadors of open water swimming.”

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.