World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year









noun - The World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year award is an annual WOWSA Award that is given by the World Open Water Swimming Association and meant to honor the individual(s) who (1) best embodies the spirit of open water swimming, (2) possesses the sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance that open water swimmers are known for, and (3) has most positively influenced the world of open water swimming during the year.
Contents
- 1 WOWSA Awards
- 2 Voting
- 3 Recipients
- 4 2021 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 5 2020 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 6 2019 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 7 2018 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 8 2017 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 9 2016 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 10 2015 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 11 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 12 2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 13 2012 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 14 2011 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 15 2010 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 16 2009 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 17 2008 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
- 18 External links
WOWSA Awards
The World Open Water Swimming Product of the Year is part of the WOWSA Awards and presented by the World Open Water Swimming Association. It is awarded together with the following categories:
- World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year since 2008
- World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year since 2008
- World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year since 2009
- World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year that has been changed to World Open Water Swimming Product or Service of the Year since 2012
- World Open Water Swimming Event of the Year since 2021
- World Open Water Swimming Para Performance of the Year since 2022
Voting
The WOWSA Award for the World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year is given at the annual Global Open Water Swimming Conference and voted online upon by tens of thousands of swimmers and fans in a public poll.
Recipients
- 2008: Randy Nutt (USA)
- 2009: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
- 2010: Marcos Diaz (Dominican Republic)
- 2011: Jamie Patrick (USA)
- 2012: Stephen Redmond (Ireland)
- 2013: Pádraig Mallon (Ireland)
- 2014: Henri Kaarma (Estonia)
- 2015: Antonio Argüelles Díaz-González (Mexico)
- 2016: Nejib Belhedi (Tunisia)
- 2017: Antonio Argüelles Díaz-González (Mexico)
- 2018: Ion Lazarenco Tiron (Republic of Moldava)
- 2019: Adherbal Treidler de Oliveira (Brazil)
- 2020: Nejib Belhedi (Tunisia)
- 2021: Paul Georgescu (Romania)
2021 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
Winner: Paul Georgescu (Romania)
First Runner-up: Neil Agius (Malta)
Second Runner-up: Joel Matos Ortiz (Puerto Rico)
4. Josef Köberl (Austria)
5. Dr. Jaiprakash Duble (India)
6. Pablo Fernández Álvarez (Spain)
7. Stève “Seal” Stievenart (France)
8. Simon Griffiths (Great Britain)
9. Bogusław Ogrodnik (Poland)
10. Joseph Zemaitis (USA)
11. Damián Blaum (Argentina)
12. Florian Wellbrock (Germany)
13. Stéphane Lecat (France)
14. Kristóf Rasovszky (Hungary)
15. Andre Slade (Australia)
2020 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. André Wiersig (Germany)
2. Evan Morrison (USA)
3. Gregorio Paltrinieri (Italy)
4. Henri Kaarma (Estonia)
5. Jaime Lomelin (Mexico)
6. Joe Zemaitis and John Zemaitis (USA)
7. Julian Critchlow (UK)
8. Nejib Belhedi (Tunisia)
9. Paul Eugen Dorin Georgescu (Romania)
10. Pedro Rego Monteiro (Brazil)
11. Ronnie Wong (Hong Kong)
12. Ryan Stramrood (South Africa)
2019 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Adherbal Treidler de Oliveira (Brazil)
2. Alex Fong Lik-sun (Hong Kong)
3. André Wiersig (Germany)
4. Attila Mányoki (Hungary)
5. Fergil Hesterman (Netherlands)
6. Florian Wellbrock (Germany)
7. Ger Kennedy (Ireland)
8. Masayuki Moriya (Japan)
9. Paul Georgescu (Romania)
10. Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
11. Robert McGlashan (Canada)
12. Thomas Pembroke (Australia)
2018 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Benoît Lecomte (France/USA)
2. Cameron Bellamy (South Africa)
3. Diego López Dominguez (Canary Islands)
4. Ferry Weertman (Netherlands)
5. Igor Lukin (Russia)
6. Ion Lazarenco Tiron (Republic of Moldava)
7. John Batchelder (USA)
8. José Luis Larrosa Chorro (Spain)
9. Kristóf Rasovszky (Hungary)
10. Lewis Pugh (Great Britain/South Africa)
11. Maarten van der Weijden (Netherlands)
12. Ned Denison (Ireland/USA)
13. Rohan More (India)
14. Vladimir Mravec (Slovakia/Australia)
15. Yaroslav Pronin (Belarus)
2017 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Evgenij Pop Acev (Macedonia)
2. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico)
3. John Batchelder (USA)
4. Guillermo Bertola (Argentina)
5. Avram Iancu (Romania)
6. Stéphane Lecat (France)
7. Dr. Lucky Meisenheimer (USA)
8. Lynton Mortensen (Australia)
9. Simone Ruffini (Italy)
10. Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
11. Sayed Ihsan Taheri (Afghanistan)
12. Ferry Weertman (Netherlands)
13. Philip Yorke (Great Britain)
2016 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Roger Finch (South Africa)
2. Seti Afoa (Samoa)
3. Tomi Stefanovski (Macedonia)
4. Edoardo Stochino (Italy)
5. Ferry Weertman (Netherlands)
6. Nejib Belhedi (Tunisia)
7. Ger Kennedy (Ireland)
8. Alex Kostich (USA)
9. Masayuki Moriya (Japan)
10. Colin Hill (Great Britain)
11. Ingemar Patiño Macarine (Philippines)
12. Lewis Pugh (Great Britain)
13. Christof Wandratsch (Germany)
2015 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico) Channel Swimmer Redux
2. Attila Mányoki (Hungary) Prolific Ocean Swimmer
3. Ben Hooper (Great Britain) Transoceanic Challenger
4. Benoît Lecomte (France/U.S.A.) Transoceanic Adventurer
5. Christof Wandratsch (Germany) Ice Swimming Record Holder
6. Evgenij Pop Acev (Macedonia) FINA Grand Prix Champion
7. Ingemar Patiño Macarine (Philippines) Pinoy Aquaman
8. James Tout (U.S.A.) Long-overdue Triple Crowner
9. Lewis Pugh, OIG (Great Britain) Ocean Advocate
10. Rohans More (India) Oceans Seven Adventurer
11. Rostislav Vítek (Czech Republic) Ice Swimmer Extraordinaire
12. Simone Ruffini (Italy) Olympian & World Champion
2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Adam Walker (Great Britain), Oceans Seven Swimmer
2. Allan Lopes Mamédio do Carmo (Brazil), FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup Champion
3. Colin Hill (Great Britain), Race Director & Open Water Ambassador
4. Ferry Weertman (Netherlands), 2-time European Champion
5. Henri Kaarma (Estonia), Ice Swimmer & Cold Water Ambassador
6. Joanes Hedel (France), FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix Champion
7. Joseph Locke (U.S.A.), Farallons Freestyler
8. Lewis Pugh, OIG (Great Britain), Ocean Advocate
9. Otto Thaning, M.D. (South Africa), Oldest English Channel Swimmer
10. Phil White (U.S.A.), Outstanding Organizer
11. Tomi Stefanovski (Macedonia), Traversée Internationale du lac St-Jean Co-Champion
12. Xavier Desharnais (Canada), Traversée Internationale du lac St-Jean Co-Champion<br/
2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Alexander Brylin, Ice Swimmer from Siberia (Russia)
2. Damián Blaum, Around The World Marathoner (Argentina)
3. Darren Miller, Achieving the Oceans Seven (U.S.A.)
4. Doug Woodring, Energetic Environmentalism (Hong Kong)
5. Glen Christiansen, Recovering from Trauma (Sweden)
6. Jim McConica, Ageless Wonder (U.S.A.)
7. Jose Diaz, Horizontes Sin Fronteras (Spain)
8. Mally Richards, 60 Years In The Making (South Africa)
9. Oussama Mellouli, Olympic Ambassador (Tunisia)
10. Pádraig Mallon, Extraordinaire Event Director & Swimmer (Ireland)
11. Rafael Gutiérrez Mesa, Getting Things Strait in Gibraltar (Spain)
12. Thomas Lurz, World Champion (Germany)
13. Tomi Stefanovski, Mastering the Traversee (Macedonia)
14. Vojislav Mijić, Tirelessly Resilient Race Director (Serbia)
15. Wayne Riddin, Midmar Mile Miracle (South Africa)
2012 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Benjamin Schulte (Guam) – Fearless Olympic Marathoner
2. Craig Dietz (USA) –The Limbless Waterman
3. Colin Hill (Great Britain) – Olympic Showman
4. Doug Woodring (Hong Kong) – Ocean Environmentalist
5. Milko van Gool (Netherlands) – Humanitarian Swimmer
6. Oussama Mellouli (Tunisia) – Olympic Champion
7. Pierre Lafontaine (Canada) – Able & Ambitious Administrator
8. Ram Barkai (South Africa) – Mindful Ice Man
9. Salvatore Cimmino (Italy) – Swimming in the Seas of the Globe
10. Stephen Redmond (Ireland) - Oceans Seven Pioneer
11. Thomas Lurz (Germany) - Ambassador and Gentleman
12. Trent Grimsey (Australia) - English Channel Record Breaker
13. Wayne Riddin (South Africa) – Midmar Mile Director
14. Wayne Soutter (South Africa) – The Unthinkable
15. Morrie Chiang (Taiwan) – Sun Lake Moon Director
2011 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Roger Allsopp (Great Britain) – Barrier-Breaker
2. Bruckner Chase (USA) – Ocean Advocacy and Awareness
3. Salvatore Cimmino (Italy) – Champion of the Disabled
4. Spyridon Gianniotis (Greece) – World Professional Marathon Swimming Champion
5. Simon Griffiths (England) – Open Water Swimming Publisher Visionary
6. Thomas Lurz (Germany) – World Professional Marathon Swimming Champion
7. Simon Murie (England) – Open Water Swimming Tour Operator and Enabler
8. Jamie Patrick (USA) – Adventure Swimmer
9. Stephen Redmond (Ireland) – Courageous Channel Challenger
10.Yutaka Shinozaki (Japan) – Founder of the Japan International Open Water Swimming Association
11.Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) – World Professional Marathon Swimming Champion
12.Doug Woodring (Hong Kong) – Ocean Recovery Alliance Visionary
2010 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Captain Earl Sandvik (USA), Pilot and Volunteer Extraordinaire
2. Chad Ho (South Africa), Pro Swimmer
3. Chris Palfrey (Australia), Record Setting Marathon Swimmer
4. Dave Barra (USA), Master Marathoner
5. Lewis Pugh (Great Britain), Environmentalist and Pioneer Swimmer
6. Marcos Díaz (Dominican Republic), Humanitarian Swimmer
7. Michael Oram (Great Britain), Escort Pilot Extraordinaire
8. Ned Denison (Ireland), Administrator, Coach, Educator
9. Nino Fazio (Italy), Passionate Open Water Promoter
10. Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria), World Champion Professional Swimmer
11. Valerio Cleri(Italy), World Champion
12. Ventura Deep Six Relay (USA), World Record Holders
2009 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Flavio Bomio (Switzerland), European & Global Administrator
2. Colin Hill (Great Britain), Visionary Innovator and Successful Promoter
3. Thomas Lurz (Germany), World Champion Professional Swimmer
4. Kevin Murphy (Great Britain), Hall of Famer King of the Channel
5. Bob Placak (USA), Generous Visionary and Promoter
6. Scott Rice (New Zealand), Innovator and Branding Expert
7. Rostislav Vitek (Czech Republic), Fast Channel Swimmer
8. Rick Walker (USA), Quick-thinking FINA Referee and Long-time Coach
9. Douglas Woodring (Hong Kong), Race Innovator and Ocean Protector
10. Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria), World Professional Champion
2008 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominees
1. Dmitrij Belov (Russia), National Team Coach
2. Emilio Casanueva (USA/Chile), Sanctioning Body President
3. Sid Cassidy (USA), Chairman and Global Administrator
4. David Davies (UK), Cross-over Olympian
5. Sam Greetham, (Britain) LEN Open Water Committee Secretary and Director of British Swimming
6. Chad Ho (South Africa), Tough Teenager
7. Alex Kostich (USA), Master Extraordinaire
8. Thomas Lurz (Germany), Professional Swimmer
9. Randy Nutt (USA), Coach, Promoter and Race Director
10. Bob Placak (USA), Generous Visionary and Promoter
11. Scott Rice (New Zealand), Open Water Branding Expert
12. Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria), Record Holder
13. Douglas Woodring (Hong Kong), Race Innovator
14. Maarten van der Weijden (Netherlands), Olympic Champion
Acceptance Speech at the United Nations of Marcos Diaz
Video of Stephen Redmond, 2012 Nominee
External links
- Meet the WOWSA Awards 2022 Voting Academy Members – Nominations Open!
- Absolutely Heroic! Shark Attack Survivor Adherbal de Oliveira Is First To Complete The LPSA Triple Crown
- The Big Swim Memory of Joe Zemaitis
- Brothers To Swim Across America In The Ultimate Swim-A-Thon
- Ultimate Swim-a-Thon
- @SwimBrothersUSA
- Nejib Belhedi Preparing For Another Major Mediterranean Sea Swim
- The Good Work and Good Deeds of Salvatore Cimmino
- Paul Georgescu is a WOWSA Award Winner: 2021 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year
- Simon Griffiths' Retweet Sadly Rings True Worldwide
- Narración de mi Travesía del Canal del Norte
- Nominate Open Water Swimming Heroes and Heroines for the 2021 WOWSA Awards
- Pat Gallant-Charette and Jamie Tout Appreciate the Beauty and Challenge of the Open Water
- Evan Morrison Honored by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
- The Comeback Of Glen Christiansen
- Summer Swimming In Lake Memphremagog
- Swimming In The Ice, Longer Than Any Human In History
- Planning With Pedro
- Nejib Belhedi Honored In Tunisia
- Paul Georgescu Honored In Romania
- What Swimming Teaches About Life
- Security Monitoring Of The WOWSA Awards
- 2020 WOWSA Awards – World Open Water Swimming Man Of The Year Nominees
- 2020 WOWSA Awards – World Open Water Swimming Performance Of The Year Nominees
- 2020 WOWSA Awards – World Open Water Swimming Offering Of The Year Nominees
- Cheers To Jonathan Ratcliffe, Warrior Of The Waves
- Marcos Díaz Making Dominican Republican Proud Around Manhattan Island
- Marcos Díaz Talks About Representing The Dominican Republic On WOWSA Live
- WOWSA Awards – World Open Water Swimming Man Of The Year
- WOWSA Awards – World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year
- 2020 WOWSA Awards – World Open Water Swimming Offering Of The Year
- WOWSA Awards – World Open Water Swimming Performance Of The Year
- Have Fun, Be Safe, Live The Adventure
- Jamie Patrick On WOWSA Live
- Antonio Argüelles On Open Water Friday
- Antonio Argüelles On This Week’s Open Water Friday
- Swim Drink Fish Produces Profile On Robert McGlashan
- Aleksandra Bednarek Voted 2018 Voted 2018 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year
- Icebears Hintertux Voted 2018 Voted 2018 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year
- Ross Edgley's Great British Swim Voted 2018 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year
- Ion Lazarenco Tiron Voted 2018 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year
- Ion Lazarenco Tiron, Swimming For Peace
- Ion Lazarenco Tiron Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize
- 2019 WOWSA Award Winners Announced
- Travesía Interminable Is 2019 World Open Water Swimming Offering Of The Year
- Gulf Of Finland Relay Is 2019 World Open Water Swimming Performance Of The Year
- Adherbal Treidler de Oliveira Is 2019 World Open Water Swimming Man Of The Year
- Mariel Hawley Dávila Is 2019 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year
- Oceans Seven, The Hell Of The North
- 2019 WOWSA Awards Nominees
- Nejib Belhedi To Be Honored At WOWSA Ocean Fest
- 2011 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year
- Open Water Swimming
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- I Do Not Know Yet What I Cannot Do
- Why I Swim
- 2012 World Open Water Swimming Offerings of the Year Nominations
- We Could Achieve - Stephen Redmond
- Oceans Seven Project, Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominee
- Marathon Swimming
- WOW...Whatta Year Of Achievement
- The Contrasts Of Champions In The Open Water
- Moreno From Navia Humbly Gives Thanks
- Stephen Redmond Accepts World Man Of The Year Award
- Pádraig Mallon, A Credit To His Community And His Sport
- 2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees
- Damián Blaum Rising To The Top, But Not Alone
- What Does The Ocean Have To Say?
- Pádraig Mallon, Man In The Middle Of Much
- Thomas Lurz Goes 4 For 4 With Some More
- Jose Diaz Achieves Success With Nadandolibre
- 2013 World Open Water Swimming Performance Of The Year Nominees
- This Is Africa - The aQuellé Midmar Mile
- 2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees
- The Hardening And Passion Of Alexander Brylin
- Darren Miller Achieving The Oceans Seven
- Rafael Gutiérrez Mesa, A Cross-Continental Champion
- The Strongest Survive…And Thrive
- Jim McConica, An Ageless Role Model, Mentor And Icon
- Glen Christiansen Makes Miracles
- Touché To Tomi
- Pádraig Mallon Is 2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year
- WOWSA Announces Its 2013 Awards
- Pádraig Picks Up Personality Plaque
- St. Ninian's Bay To Host International Swim Celebration
- Pádraig Mallon To Be Honored In Mount Stuart Castle
- Olga Kozydub To Be Honored In Scotland
- The 2014 Global Open Water Swimming Conference
- Mercedes Gleitze To Be Honored In Scotland
- Stepping Out Of The Ordinary With The Port Oriel Swim
- Positively Powerful Pádraig
- 2014 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
- 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year Nominees
- 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nominees
- 2014 WOWSA Awards Nominees
- 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees
- Adam Walker Is Part Of One Young World
- Good Kaarma In The Ice Water
- Merle Liivand Spreading The Word From Estonia
- The World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
- Marcel Wouda To Share Coaching Intelligence And Insights
- The Sound Of Chain Saws On Ice
- Open Water Swimmers Have A Long, Long Way To Go
- Henri Kaarma, 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man Of The Year
- The Power Of One, Henri Karma
- Thomas Lurz Retires As Champion
- 2015 World Open Water Swimming Man Of The Year Nominees
- Nominees For The 2015 WOWSA Awards
- WOWSA Man of the Year Voting
- Ingemar Patiño Macarine Is A Hero Of The Environment
- Lewis Pugh Swims That Can Go No Further South
- James Tout, Simply Amazing
- WOWSA...Swimmers To Be Celebrated At Big Chill Swim
- 2015 WOWSA Awards - Performance Of The Year Voting
- Lewis Pugh To Present WOWSA Awards At Big Chill Swim
- Honoring Heroes At Low Wood Bay Resort
- Chad Ho Swimming Out Of The Dark
- Bridgette Hobart Janeczko Takes Her Success In Stages
- Antonio Argüelles Díaz-González Is 2015 Man Of The Year
- Andrea Fazio's Is Selected As World Performance Of The Year
- World Ice Swimming Championships In Murmansk Honored As World Open Water Swimming Offering Of The Year
- 2016 WOWSA Awards Nominees
- 2016 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees
- 2016 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year Nominees
- 2016 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nominees
- 2016 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
- Ger Kennedy Goes Cold, Long And Rough
- Tomi Stefanovski Swimming Staggeringly Swiftly
- Alex Kostich's Streaks Continue From Caribbean To Pacific
- Ferry Weertman To Return To Copacabana Beach
- Conversing Change And Conversion With Lewis Pugh
- Ingemar Patiño Macarine To Attempt The Canigao Channel
- Seti Afoa Bringing Samoa To The Open Water World
- Swimming In Samoa With A Selfless Star
- Roger Finch's Joy Of Life Unleashed On Land And In Water
- Gerrrrrrr, Ice Sevens Do It In The ICE
- Olympic 10K Medalists Return To Rio
- Going For 3 More Marine Protected Areas
- 1,000 Head To Low Wood Bay For The Fifth Big Chill Swim
- Colin Hill Inducted In Marathon Swimming Hall Of Fame
- Competing On The Grid At The King And Queen Of The Sea
- 12-Minute Barrier Cracked By Christof Wandratsch In The Ice
- Nejib Belhedi Is 2016 World Open Water Swimming Man Of The Year
- Ouma Gives Rise To Iron Swim & Open Water Conference
- Ferry Weertman Honored By Swimming World Magazine
- Aurélie Muller Honored By Swimming World Magazine
- Butterfly Brings Back The Memories
- Guillermo Bértola, Cecilia Biagioli Join The Selectivo
- Petar Stoychev, Like No Other In The Open Water
- Margarita Llorens Bagur Wins 2017 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year
- Sea Donkey, 2017 World Open Water Offering of the Year
- Jaimie Monahan Wins 2017 World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year Award
- Antonio Argüelles Wins 2017 World Open Water Swimming Man Of The Year Award
- Estonia To Host World's Winter Swimming Championships
- Ben Lecomte To Speak From The Middle Of The Pacific
- 154 Days Done, How Many More Days To Go?
- Think, Plan, Do In The Open Water
- Role Models In The Open Water
- Ben Lecomte Reaches DNF Decision, But Carries On
- Diego Digs Deep, Finishes The Continents Seven
- What Is The FINA Schedule?
- Pleasurable Pain In The Open Water
- First In Finland: Winter Swimming European Championships
- Ion Lazarenco Tiron Swimming For Peace, Part 1
- Ion Lazarenco Tiron Swimming For Others, Part 2