Veljko Rogosic

From Openwaterpedia
Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
Veljko Rogošić in 1974 swimming 43 km from Vis Island to Split, Croatia
Plaque provided by the World Professional Marathon Swimmers Federation to Veljko Rogošić
Veljko Rogošić, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974 world marathon swimming champion, winning at the Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli
Veljko Rogošić, the first Faros Maratón champion 1976
Veljko Rogošić, Vis-Split 1974, 43 km
Veljko Rogošić 2005

Veljko Rogošić or Veljku Rogošiću (21 July 1941 in Kaštel Lukšić, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija, Croatia - 7 August 2012 at the age of 71) was a 2-time Olympic pool swimmer for Yugoslavia and a world champion marathon swimmer who is member of the Half Century Club due to his crossing of the English Channel at the age of 63 in 11 hours 27 minutes in 2004 and a member of the 24-hour Club due to his 171 km (106.2 mile) 50 hour 10 minute swim across the Adriatic Sea from Grado, Croatia to Riccione, Italy in 2006.

An Honour Swimmer inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1998 and a shipyard technician by trade, Rogošić nearly always found himself near the water. He set a benchmark for pool and marathon swimming among his countrymen during a life dedicated to swimming.

In 2005, he walked along the Croatian coast from north to south for about 1,000 km at the age of 67.

Pool Swimming Career

He began as a great pool swimmer for the former Yugoslavia where he won 142 national championships, set more than 50 Yugoslav records, and competed a total of 203 times for his country in international competitions, setting 51 national records in the 400m and 1500m freestyle, 200m and 400m individual medley, 200m butterfly and freestyle relays. He was the captain of the national team for 15 years and participated in two Olympic Games (1960 in Rome and 1964 in Tokyo). His highest international rankings were in the 1500m freestyle (fourth) and 400m individual medley (fifth).

Rogošić won a World Cup Championship in the 200m butterfly in 1971 and received three Olympic Committee awards during his career.

Olympic Career

At the 1960 Rome Olympic Games, he competed in the 400m, 1500m freestyle, 200m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, he competed in the 400m and 1500m freestyle.

Marathon Swimming Career

  • He won the 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973 marathons in Italian Ricconeu.
  • He won the world championship in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974 at the Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli.
  • He was the first winner of the Faros Maratón 1976.
  • He finished second to John Kinsella in the 1974 Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean in Quebec, Canada in 8 hours 6 minutes.
  • He finished third overall in the 1975 and 1876 Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean in 8:53:57 and 8:46:43 respectively.
  • In 1975, he was the first person to complete a 54 km crossing from the Adriatic island of Vis to Split, Croatia.
  • In 2004, he became a member of the Half Century Club for his crossing of the English Channel at the age of 63 in 11 hours 27 minutes - the first by a Croatian swimmer.
  • According to the Guinness World Records, Rogošić completed the Adriatic Swimming Marathon while setting the world record for the longest distance ever swum without fins or a wetsuit in the sea with his 225 km (139.8 mile) 50 hour 10 minute swim across the Adriatic Sea from Grado to Riccione in Italy between from 29-31 August 2006. The distance was measured by GPS. Note: The distance of Veljko Rogošić's swim of 139.8 statute miles (225 km) in the Adriatic Sea in 2006 appears to be only a straight-line tangent distance of 121 statute miles (194.7 km) on Google Maps. However, information on the exact GPS coordinates of the starting and finishing positions are not known and were not reported. It is estimated the minimum distance swum is 171 km.
  • After serving as an ambassador of the sport, he continued to be honored for his efforts and exploits.

Videos

Veljko Rogošić in the Adriatic Sea

Video of Veljko Rogošić in Capri-Napoli


Start in Lido Ondine – Marina Grande, finish in Piazza Vittoria, Veljko Rogošić beat 32 swimmers in 7:43:51.

Veljko Rogošić Advertisement for Bioforca


Greatest Watermen in Open Water Swimming History

He was named as one of the Greatest Watermen in Open Water Swimming History by the World Open Water Swimming Association in 2015:

1. Zacharias Alexandrakis (Macedonia): Marathon swimming enthusiast, open water swimming promoter, lifeguard, swimming coach and lifesaving leader.
2. Antonio Argüelles Díaz-González (Mexico): Triathlete, ultra-endurance athlete, channel swimmer and author
3. Stathis Avramidis, Ph.D. (Greece): Researcher, swimmer, author, speaker, and lecturer
4. Peter Bales (South Africa): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, governing body administrator and escort pilot
5. Vito Bialla (U.S.A.): Extreme relay swimmer, professional sailor, and escort pilot of the Farallon Islands, California
6. Paul Blackbeard (South Africa): World-class pool swimmer, ocean swimmer, and life saver
7. Lord Byron (Great Britain): Poet, author and pioneering sea swimmer
8. Dick Campion (Australia): Olympian, coach, trainer, author, promoter, and professional marathon swimmer
9. Daniel Eulogio Carpio Massioti (Peru): Four-time Olympian, Channel swimmer, professional racer, and solo swimmer
10. Bruckner Chase (U.S.A.): marathon swimmer, ocean advocate, ambassador to the disabled, filmmaker, paddler and surf lifesaver
11. Buster Crabbe (U.S.A.): Olympic champion, ice swimmer, promoter, and movie star of 3 pulp fiction heroes
12. Guy Delage (France): Ocean swimmer, extreme adventurer, diver, submariner, and sailor
13. Marcos Díaz (Dominican Republic): Marathon racer, extreme swimmer, surfer, governing body administrator, and event director
14. Shannon Eckstein (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
15. Ian Emberson (Kauai, U.S.A.): Channel swimmer, original Ironman triathlete, ocean swimmer, event director, and triathlete
16. George Freeth (Hawai, U.S.A.): Ocean swimmer, surfer, paddler, and lifesaver organizer
17. Alfréd Hajós (Hungary): Olympic champion, professional racer, and architect
18. Trevor Hendy (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
19. Colin Hill (Great Britain): Ice swimmer, Channel swimmer, television commentator, and event director
20. Craig Hummer (U.S.A.): Competitive swimmer, kayaker, paddler, Ironman lifesaver, and Olympic television commentator
21. Ky Hurst (Australia): Ocean swimmer, two-time Olympian, body surfer extraordinaire, and champion life saver
22. Zhang Jian (China): Marathon swimmer, Channel swimmer, ice swimmer and university sports director
23. Captain Tim Johnson (U.S.A.): Marathon swimmer, author, professor, shark cage designer, analyst, and historian
24. Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaii): Ocean swimmer, Olympic champion, surfing legend and ambassador of aloha
25. Grant Kenny (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
26. Guy Leech (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
27. Luiz Eduardo Carneiro da Silva de Souza Lima (Brazil): Two-time Olympian, stand-up paddler, ocean swimming coach, pioneering ocean swimmer and promoter
28. Pádraig Mallon (Ireland): Marathon swimmer, Channel swimmer, ice swimmer, event organizer, promoter and triathlete
29. Vojislav Mijić (Serbia): Marathon swimmer, professional racer, solo pioneer and event organizer
30. Masayuki Moriya (Japan): Coach, channel swimmer, event organizer, clinician, and governing body administrator
31. Keo Nakama (Hawaii/U.S.A.): World champion, world record holder, pioneering ocean swimmer, event organizer and coach
32. Aaron Peirsol (U.S.A.): 7-time Olympic medalist, surfer, lifeguard, coach, and body surfer extraordinaire
33. Lewis Pugh (Great Britain): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, ocean advocate, ambassador, author, and speaker
34. Kevin Richards (South Africa): Competitive swimmer, triathlete, surf lifesaver, and coach
35. Philip Rush (New Zealand): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, professional racer, escort pilot, channel administrator, and fire fighter
36. Wayne Riddin (South Africa): Competitive swimmer, race director, aquapreneur, coach and promoter
37. Veljko Rogošić (Croatia): Two-time Olympic swimmer, professional racer, solo pioneer, swimming ambassador and marathon swimmer
38. Kenny Rust (Hawaii, U.S.A.): Ocean swimmer, lifeguard, aquapreneur, and event safety official
39. Ori Sela (Israel): Sea swimmer, coach, therapist, pioneer relay swimmer and aquapreneur
40. Borut Strel (Slovenia): Coach, swimmer, clinician, planner and logistic expert
41. Martin Strel (Slovenia): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, extreme adventurer, film protagonist, and camp clinician
42. Georgios-Ioannis Tsianos, M.D., Ph.D. (Greece): Research scientist, physician, expedition medic and Channel swimmer
43. Christof Wandratsch (Germany): Channel swimmer, professional racer, solo pioneer, ice swimming record holder and event promoter
44. Captain Matthew Webb (Great Britain): Channel swimmer, extreme adventurer, and professional racer
45. Johnny Weissmuller (U.S.A.): 4-time Olympic champion and movie star with a household name
46. Alick Wickham (Solomon Islands): Ocean swimmer, high diver, body surfing promoter, surfboard shaper, and freestyle ambassador
47. Patrick Winkler (Brazil): Competitive swimmer, ocean swimmer, stand-up paddler, race promoter and publisher of The Swim Channel Magazine
48. Jabez Wolffe (Great Britain): Channel aspirant and coach in the early generations of channel swimming
49. Doug Woodring (Hong Kong/U.S.A.): Marine environment ambassador, ecology advocate, aquapreneur, ocean event director, paddler, diver, and ocean swimmer
50. David Yudovin (U.S.A.): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, aquapreneur, benefactor and mariner

External links

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