Open water swimming

Open water swimming and long distance swimming denote mostly swimming a longer distance in open water; conduct both terms are used synonymously. In competitions held in swimming pools distances from 200 m ( chest, back and dolphin location ) or 400 m ( freestyle) are referred to as long distance.

History

From the earliest times open waters are swum by people both for reasons of necessity, as well as for pleasure. Only with the advent of increased outdoor and indoor swimming pools is less swam in open water. The swimming across the English Channel, which was first swum in August 1875 by the then 27 -year-old English Captain Matthew Webb, put in a new direction, away from the open water swimming as a pure pleasure to sports. Since Webb swell and current had miscalculated, he laid back well over 70 km and needed for more than 21 hours. On August 6, 1926 Gertrude Ederle swam the English Channel was the first woman between Cap Gris -Nez and Dover. She needed for 14 hours and 32 minutes and was over two hours more on target than the previous male world champion.

Even the German - Danish equivalent of crossing the Fehmarn Belt in the Baltic Sea is one of the long-distance swimming. The first successful managed Beltquerung the Fehmarn Karl -Heinz Raue in July 1939.

Known open water swimmers

Known open water swimmers are the multiple world champion Peggy rifle, Angela Maurer, Britta Kamrau and Thomas Lurz. The German Christof wall ratchet swam several world records, including while crossing the English Channel. Another German world record holder is Bruno Dobelmann, which is also known by his nickname " Orca". He crossed the Fehmarn Belt (Baltic Sea) between Puttgarden (D) and Rodby (DK) became the first man twice. This corresponds to a floated distance of about 50 km.

A well-known ultra-long- distance swimmer Martin Strel, the Slovenian, which aufstellte several world records in this discipline. He swam for example, the Danube, the Yangtze and the Amazon. The British-Australian marathon swimmer Penny Palfrey presented in June 2011 to set a world record in long- distance swimming. She swam in the sea between two Cayman Islands unaided a distance of 108 kilometers.

Sports Medicine

Long distance swimming is one of the endurance sports. Especially the aerobic energy supply is crucial. Special attention requires the difficult water in food intake, as well as the energy loss due to heat loss in cold water.

Long-distance swimming, marathon swimming

Since 1995, the German Swimming Federation chose instead the concept of long-distance swimming as the German counterpart to the designation of Open Water Swimming World Swimming Federation FINA the concept of open water swimming. It has introduced its own set of rules (technical part).

In terms of a competitive discipline the FINA Open Water Swimming understands race in open waters, which have at least 5 kilometers in length. In open water world championships and European championships open water title over 5 km, 10 km and 25 km will be awarded. In the World Cup and in extreme sporting events are even longer distances to 88 km, for example, in Santa Fe ( this but usually downstream ) possible. It is also known that Zurich - swimming, marathon swimming over a 26.4 km from Rapperswil to Zurich in Lake Zurich, with a record time of 5 hours 51 minutes. Since 2008, the so-called swimming marathon over 10 km is an Olympic sport for women and men.

Events and competitions with distances of 1 to 40 kilometers mass start will take place in open waters.

Some of the most famous competitions are the Sundschwimmen of Rügen to Stralsund (since 1965) with an annual 1,000 participants, the Müritz swimming in Waren ( Müritz) across the Müritz ( since 1968 ) with an annual 600 participants, the Strausseeschwimmen in Strausberg (since 1925) and the Blue Ribbon from Hohenwarte reservoir ( since 1966). In Sweden, the Vansbrosimningen over 3,000 meters is held annually since 1950. In Zell am See ( Austria ) takes place annually since 2009 to the EARL of PEARL over 5,000, 1,500 and 750 meters instead. In the lake Ottenstein ( Waldviertel Austria ) takes place every year since 2006 the best- trip backwaterman about 7 and 14 km.

In Lake Hallstatt (Salzkammergut - Austria ) has been held since 2011, the Hallstattsee swimming marathon on 9 and 2.1 km.

24 -Hour Swim

The 24 -hour swimming is an extreme type of long-distance swimming. 24 -hour swimming are often carried out as a major event for a whole weekend, as " hard in the bathroom ", with food and beverages, overnight camping in the bathroom, games and fun activities for the children, sometimes with screenings (water jumping, diving, lifesaving, water Ballet), music and dance, fashion show, outdoor cinema and fireworks. For security reasons it is usually performed in swimming pools.

The 24 -hour swimming can be performed as a relay team or individual swimming. The achieved routes are added together, the ranking is then obtained from the sum total of the floated kilometers. Single Starter create up to 101 km in 24 hours ( Mauro Giaconia, 2008).

Duration swimming

In continuous swimming it's usually quite similar as well connected as a popular sport event with a pool hard as the 24 -hour swim to endurance performance. Often time swimming are connected to a fundraiser. The spectators pay for each train floated a donation for a charity project.

Another form of continuous swimming extends over the whole year or a bathing season. Here are the swimmers swum along their paths in order to acquire a certificate of 50, 100 or 150 kilometers swum at the end of the year. Objective here is to stop the bathers to regular and persevering swimming and so to improve the health of the population.

Triathlon

When triathlon is swimming, in addition to running and cycling, one of the endurance tests. The swim course is normally depending on the triathlon version 0.5 to 3.8 km ( Ironman ). In the longest triathlon, the Double Deca Mexico, the swim course was 76 km, in an indoor pool.

Open Water Swimming

Crossing the lake and river swimming

The Seeüberquerungen and river swimming are popular amateur sports events. In Switzerland there is an official calendar of all Seeüberquerungen, which is distributed to the public and is accessible on the Internet, in which about 50 events are listed. Hundreds of swimmers take part in these events, individually, in groups., As a couple or family, as a class or as an employee of a company It monitors the events of the maritime police and lifeguards who ride with boats. Start and finish are usually in a beach. In river swimming is often started with a jump from a bridge.

Particular challenges are the torchlight swimming and in winter the Nicholas swimming ( Samichlausschwimmen ) and the New Year swim in the icy water.