Johan Schans

Johan Schans, inductee (Honor Swimmer) of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 1970

Johannes Schans, an Honor Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame

Johannes Schans or Johann Schans (born 14 May 1949) is a retired Dutch pool and open water swimmer and Utrecht swimming instructor.

Swimming Career Highlights

• He won the Dutch 16U national title at the 400m in only his second year of swimming.
• He won the 1965 and 1967 distance freestyle title in the Netherlands.
• He competed in the 200m and 4×200m freestyle events at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.
• On 2 August 1969, Johannes “Johan” Schans changed from pool swimming to professional marathon swimming at the urging of Herman Willemse.
• He competed in the 1969 Le Marathon du Saguenay from Chicoutimi to Bagotville in Quebec, Canada.
• He finished 2nd in the 1969 24 Heures La Tuque in his second professional marathon swimming competition.
• He finished 2nd in the 32 km Traversée internationale du Lac St-Jean in 10 hours 12 minutes 35 seconds.
• He won the 10-mile Hamilton Marathon Race in Ontario, Canada in 1970.
• He finished 2nd in the 42.9 km America's Marathon Swim in Newport, Rhode Island at the age of 21 on 9 August 1970.
• He won the 30 km point-to-point race in Syria.
• In 1971 he completed the Aswam Dam and Nile Swim. In the later he beat Abdellatief Abou Heif.
• On 1 August 1970, he finished second in the 32 km Traversée internationale du Lac St-Jean in 8 hours 27 minutes 50 seconds.
• He competed in the Maarsseveense Plassen on 27 June 1970 in Maarsseveen, Netherlands.
• On 5 August 1973, he finished fourth in the 32 km Traversée internationale du Lac St-Jean in 8 hours 35 minutes 53 seconds.
• On 4 August 1974, he finished eighth in the 32 km Traversée internationale du Lac St-Jean in 8 hours 44 minutes 6 seconds.
• He finished fourth in the 57 km Santa Fe-Coronda river swim in Argentina in 8 hours 1 minute.
• He won the Newport Rhode Island race
• He was ranked second in the world in the 1969 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation circuit.
• He was ranked first in the world in the 1970 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation circuit.
• He competed in the Nile swim in 1971 and 1974.
• In 1970, he was inducted to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer.
• He became the World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation world champion in 1970 after winning the Hamilton Marathon Swim and the race in Chicago.
• He won the 1971 24 Heures La Tuque together with Horacio Iglesias.
• He won the 1972 24 Heures La Tuque again with Horacio Iglesias.
• He won the 1973 24 Heures La Tuque again with Horacio Iglesias and was asked to not swim with Iglesias anymore
• He retired in 1974 and then became a water polo player and competitive swimmer.
• He trained in a Rhine canal, starting at 100 meters due to the cold of winter, and then increasing his distance 100 meters every day in the winter.
• He swam from Amsterdam to Maarsseveense Plassen, Utrecht in June 1970
• He raced in the 57 km Maratón Acuática Internacional Santa Fe – Coronda.
• He raced in Egypt' Nile River at Aswan Dam and in a circumnavigation race around Gezira Island in Cairo in 1971 and 1974

1975 24 Heures La Tuque Results

1. Johan Schans (Holland, 90 laps) and Horacio Iglesias (Argentina, 89 laps)
2. Jon Erikson (USA, 90 laps) and Raul Villagomez (Argentina, 82 laps)
3. Marwan Shedid (Egypt, 86 laps) and Jan Van Scheyndel (Holland, 84 laps)
4. Dennis Matuch (USA, 83 laps) and Diana Nyad (USA, 83 laps)
5. Carlos Aguirre (Argentina, 82 laps) and Marcello Guiscardo (Argentina, 81 laps)
6. Yvon Monpetit (Canada, 82 laps) and Yves Lavoie (Canada, 77 laps)
7. Mohammed Gamie (Egypt, 78 laps) and Tabii El Enen (Egypt, 77 laps)
8. Mahmoud Khamis (Syria, 82 laps) and Said Masri (Syria, 69 laps)
9. Angel Bernatene (Argentina, 75 laps) and Philip Gollop (England, 72 laps)
10. Sultan Kigab (Sudan, 72 laps) and Naste Jonceski (Yugoslavia, 66 laps)
11. Edward Bennett (Canada, 76 laps) and Hassan Abdeen (Canada, 60 laps)
12. Samia Mandour (Egypt, 68 laps) and Fausto Ramirez (Mexico, 63 laps)
13. Mervyn Sharp (England, 71 laps) and Thomas Hetzel (USA, 56 laps)
14. Michel Poirier (Canada, 66 laps) and Daniel Boyle (Canada, 59 laps)

External links

• Remembering Samia Mandour, a Professional Marathon Swimmer from Egypt
• The Best Open Water Swimmers from 1950 to 2020
• The Best Open Water Swimmers from 1950 to 2020
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 2010's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 2000's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1990's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1980's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1970's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1960's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1950's
• Toughness Defined In The 1972 Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean
• Johannes Schans Talks About His Career On WOWSA Live
• Herman Willemse Describes How Swimming Changed His Life On WOWSA Live
• The Persistence Of Ralph Willard
• Open Water Swimming
• How To Make a Slow Buck
• Sandra Bucha Talks About Seeking Opportunities On WOWSA Live
• Marathon Swimming Hall Of Famers At The Olympics
• Wennerberg, Conrad (1999). Wind, Waves and Sunburn: A Brief History of Marathon Swimming. Breakaway Books. pp. 330–331. ISBN 978-1-55821-615-0.
• Johan Schans Olympic bio
• 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
• The Turbulent Traversée, Jan Van Scheijndel In Lac St-Jean
• Sharp As A Swimmer, The Mervyn Marathon Magic
• Sandra Bucha Inducted In ISHOF
• Marathon Swimmers Federation bio