George Park
From Openwaterpedia
George Park swimming past a Great White Shark in a professional marathon swim from the mainland of the state of Rhode Island to Block Island in 1968. Photo by Jean-Guy Lacoursière from an escort boat
From left International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honorees Tom Park, Margaret Park and George Park in the last 1960s at the awards event after a race in Lac Simon
George Park was a Canadian pool and marathon swimmer from La Tuque and a water polo player for the Hamilton Aquatic Club. He was later a police officer.
Contents
Aquatic Career Highlights
- He set Canadian records in the 50 and 100m freestyle and butterfly.
- He qualified to be a member of the 1954 and 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
- He anchored two 2nd place finish relays and came 4th in the 100m freestyle.
- He won a silver medal in the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City in 100m freestyle.
- He qualified for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.
- He competed in the 1968 14.1-mile race from Narragansett, Rhode Island to Block Island. For several decades a picture of a swimmer next to a Great White Shark was reported to be George. This was later found to be Regent LaCoursiere.
- He completed a 9-mile swim across the Northumberland Straits from Cape Tormintine to Borden Prince Edward Island.
- He competed in the 28-mile Saguenay River professional marathon swim in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968.
- He completed the 16 km (10-mile) Hamilton Marathon Swim. In the 1964 race that started in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada, he finished in 9 hours 18 minutes, two hours ahead of the second place finisher, Armond Cloutier.
- He competed in the 24 Heures La Tuque with American Billy Barton, and with Thomas Bucy in 1966.
- He finished 4th in the 1968 45 Le Marathon du Saguenay in Canada.
- The World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation was formed in 1963 to promote professional marathon swimming and to rank the top professional marathon swimmers. Park was ranked 10th in 1964, 7th in 1966, 4th in 1967, and 6th in 1968.
- He was voted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer in the Class of 1978.
1966 Traversée Internationale du lac St-Jean Results
1. Judith de Nijs, Netherlands 8:38:57
2. Tom Bucy, USA 8:53:50
3. Regent Lacoursiere, Canada 8:59:35
4. Herman Willemse, Netherlands 9:05:39
5. George Park, Canada 9:44:16
6. Cliff Lumsdon, Canada 10:30:04
7. Abdel Latif Abou Heif, Egypt 10:30:04
8. Kurt Pluntke, Canada 11:05:15
9. Conrad Corbeil, Canada 11:42:46
Family
George Park has a brother Tom Park and a sister Margaret Park who are also inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 1968 and Class of 2000, respectively.
External links
- Cool, Calm, and Collected: When Swimmers Encounter Sharks
- 1991, The Year Sports Changed. Men vs. Women In The Open Water
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- 2020 International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Virtual Ceremonies
- Régent Lacoursière Talks About Life On WOWSA Live, Part 2
- When Marathon Swimmers Swim With Great White Sharks
- Marathon Swimming Heroes In Memoriam
- Margaret Park Goes Down Memory Lane On WOWSA Live
- Marilyn Bell Recalls Her Remarkable Teenage Years On WOWSA Live
- The Summer Of 1968 And The Incredible Race To Block Island
- Closest, Toughest, Coldest Race Of 1968: Le Marathon du Saguenay
- Old-School Canadian Professional Race Posters
- Marathon Swimming Hall Of Famers At The Olympics
- George Park marathon swims
- George Park website
- International Marathon Swimming Hall Of Fame Origins
- World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation History
- International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
- Open Water Swimming
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- WPMSF Led To IMSHOF
- World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
- Marathon Swimming
- Open Water Swimming
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- The World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
- A Giant Of The Sport, Joe Grossman
- World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation website
- Don't Stop Swimming Now, Great White Shark In Our Midst
- Swimming Safely With Thoughts Of Sharks
- Ron Chamberlain, Tailor Made For The Man In The Gray Suit
- What Are You Thinking About In The Open Water?
- Fight-or-Flight Response When Sharks Are Spotted In The Ocean
- When SEALs Stand Up To Sharks
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Three Is A Charm With The Park Family
- Why Are The Rewards Greater Than The Risks?
- George Park Joins Siblings Tom, Sister In Hall Of Fame
- Long Overdue Recognition For George Park
- Shark Encounters In Channels Around The World
- Greta Andersen To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award
