Open Water Virtual Grand Slam

From Openwaterpedia

The Open Water Virtual Grand Slam is a lockdown swim or a virtual swim competition, a summer-long, 4-race open water event series, organized by Mark Johnston due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Dates and Distances

  • 30 June 2020, 800 meter Sprint distance
  • 31 July 2020, 1.5 km Olympic distance
  • 31 August 2020, 1.9 km Half Ironman
  • 30 September 202, 3.8 km Ironman

Rules

  • Each stage is scored individually
  • There is a cumulative result of combined times at the completion of all four distances.
  • Categories include wetsuit, non-wetsuit, and both for eight total swims.
  • Grand Slam rankings will be updated weekly and posted online at the host website and Meet Mobile.
  • Certificates of accomplishment, compete with event rankings, will be e-mailed out at the end of each stage, and awards will be presented for those swimming all four events to complete the Grand Slam.

2020 WOWSA Awards

The Open Water Virtual Grand Slam by Mark Johnston was nominated for the 2020 WOWSA Awards in the World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year category with the following nomination: In the midst of a near global lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mark Johnston from Flathead Lake in the state of Montana knew that he needed to do something positive and uplifting. So the race director and marathon swimmer created the Open Water Virtual Grand Slam, a multi-month catalyst and online social group that kickstarted hundreds of swimmers to join the growing global community of open water swimmers. With many pool closed and nowhere to swim, many looked at open bodies of water for the first time, but it took the attention and dedication for Johnston and other like-minded swimmers to develop and shape this new community. For organizing four competitive distances in the open water (800m, 1500m, 1.93 km and 3.96 km), for providing a low-cost means to participate and compete in something new and something fun and inspirational, and for rapidly developing and nurturing additional challenges like The Beast, an 128 km, 120-day virtual perimeter swim in Flathead Lake, the Open Water Virtual Grand Slam by Mark Johnston is a worthy nominee for the 2020 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.

External links

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