Abilio Couto
From Openwaterpedia
Abilio Alvaro Da Costa Couto is an inductee (Honor Swimmer of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in its Class of 2001
Abílio Álvaro da Costa Couto (nickname Pai das Águas Abertas no Brasil or Father of Open Water Swimming in Brazil, born on 24 December 1924) was a Brazilian open water swimmer from Ribeirão Preto. He was the chairman of the Brazilian open water swimming federation who mentored and inspired many Brazilian swimmers.
Open Water Swimming Career
- He was awarded the Baron of Sorano, registered in Rome, Italy, by Prince Alexandre Marie de Deolz.
- He was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in its Class of 2001 as an Honor Swimmer.
- It is estimated that Couto swam more than 40,000 kilometers during his career, only a bit shorter than the circumference of the earth around the equator. *On the domestic open water swimming forefront where he is known as the Father of Open Water Swimming in Brazil (Pai das Águas Abertas no Brasil), he was instrumental in the establishment of the first Brazil Open Water Championships and many other events including the Ilhabella-Caraguatatuba 25 km event.
- He completed a crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar on 10 August 1965 at the age of 42 in 5 hours 52 minutes(the oldest swimmer at the time).
- He crossed the 33.5 km English Channel from France to English on 10 August 1958 in 12 hours 45 minutes coached by Miguel Maciel and escorted by Captain Hutchinson to become the first Brazilian to swim across the English Channel.
- He crossed the 33.5 km English Channel from England to France on 11 September 1959 in 12 hours 49 minutes. He had the lowest combined time of any swimmer for both directions.
- He crossed the 33.5 km English Channel from France to England on 25 September 1959 in 11 hours 44 minutes for the third time.
- In 1959, he swam from France to England again in 11 hours 44 minutes. With only 14 days rest, he swam back from England to France in 12 hours 49 minutes.
- He was an eight-time amateur winner of the International Long Distance Swimming Federation marathon swims in 1959, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1961 and 1965).
- He swam across the Strait of Gibraltar (1965), Lake Michigan (1965), Suez Canal (1964), Nile River (1965), Mar del Plata (1960) and Lake Ontario (1960).
- 1955 - Travessia Guarujá-São Vicente (Brasil)
- 1956 - Travessia Guarujá-São Vicente (Brasil)
- 1956 - Travessia Guarujá-São Vicente (Brasil)
- He competed in the 1957, 1958 and 1959 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli (Capri-Napoli International Swimming Crossing Competition) in Italy.
- 1958 - Travessia do Canal da Mancha - percurso França-Inglaterra
- 1959 - Travessia do Canal da Mancha - percurso Inglaterra-França
- 1959 - Travessia Ilha Bela-Caraguatatuba (Brasil)
- 1959- Travessia de Triunfo a Porto Alegre, 60 km, 16 hours 1 minute
- 1959 - Travessia do Canal da Mancha - percurso Inglaterra-França e França-Inglaterra, 1° lugar
- 1961 - Travessia da Maratona de Alexandria (Egito) 45 km - pela ILDSF 1° lugar
- 1964-Travessia da Maratona de Said-Beirute (Líbano) -50 km, pela ILDSF - 1° lugar
- 1964 - Travessia do lago de Brasilia ( lago Paranoá)- Brasil
- 1965 - Travessia do Lago Michigan - percurso Chicago (EUA) - Saint Joseph (Canadá) - pela ILDSF - 98 km, 45 swimmers started just 4 left, 42 hours 20 minutes 1° Abdull Latif Abo-Heif, 2° Abilio Couto, 4° Cliff Lumsden
- 1965- Travessia de Bosphoro ( Constantinopla - Turquia)
- 1966 - Travessia da Maratona do Lago Ohrid (Iugoslávia) - 40 km, pela ILDSF - 1° lugar
- 1969 - Travessia da Represa de Assuan (Egypt)
- 1964 - Travessia do Canal de Suez (Egypt)
- 1965 - Travessia da Maratona do Rio Nilo (Egito) - pela ILDSF - 44 nadadores, 24 países, 1° lugar
- Travessia de Salton Sea ( Estados Unidos) 10.5 miles in 4 hours 25 minutes
- Travessia Huntington Beach-Long Beach (Califórnia, Estados Unidos) 15 miles in 6 hours 14 minutes
- Travessia Atlantic City-New Jersey (Estados Unidos) 22.5 miles in 12 hours 44 minutes
- Travessia de Owen Sound (Canadá) 15 miles in 6 hours 44 minutes
- Travessia do Canal de Santa Catalina (MC) 32.3 km in 11 hours 6 minutes
Estudio Filmes Documentary
External links
- TV Globo Broadcasts 4-Part Series on the Life of Abílio Álvaro da Costa Couto
- Dos treinos na Recra às disputas no Rio Pardo: como Abílio Couto fez Ribeirão chegar ao mar
- National Honors Awarded to Open Water Swimmers
- International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Patrons
- The Next Evolution of Swim Goggles
- Brazilians Following In The Wake Of Abilio Couto In The English Channel
- Open Water Swimming
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Ricardo Ratto Talks About His Career On WOWSA Live
- Abilio Couto, The Baron Of The Open Water
- Daniel Couto On His Grandfather Abilio Couto On WOWSA Live
- The Channel Is The Place To Suffer
- Igor de Souza Talks About Mental Preparation On WOWSA Live
- World Record Progression Of English Channel Crossings
- Abilio Couto
- The Legacy Of Pai das Águas Abertas no Brasil
- Abilio Couto Swam Around The World
- International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
- Channel Swimming Association
- Abilio Alvaro Da Costa Couto
- Abilio Alvaro Da Costa Couto in the English Channeel
- Awards
- Paying Tribute To Abilio Couto
- 1964 Canadian National Exhibition Marathon Swim
- When Rowing Oars Preceded GPS
- The 1960 America's Marathon Swim In Rhode Island
- A Challenge In The Open Water Can Initiate A Transition
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Swim Channel
- Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
- 50 Years Ago In The English Channel
- When Rowing Oars Preceded GPS
