Courtesy of WOWSA, Río Paraná, Argentina.

The 1993-1994 FINA Marathon Swimming World Series kicked off at the 3rd 88 km Maraton Nautica Internacional Hernandarias – Paraná on February 14th 1993.

In the warm 24-26°C river water of the Río Paraná and very warm 36-39°C air temperatures, the world’s fastest professional marathon swimmers who swimming up to 10 km per hour at times down the brownish river.

Germany’s Christof Wandratsch and Argentina’s Diego Degano swam stroke-for-stroke for much of the race until they entered the finish chute.

Degano unexpectedly hit a marker buoy and was unable to catch up to the charging Wandratsch.

Race favorite Shelley Taylor-Smith of Australia was sick opening the door for American Karen Burton and Hungarian Rita Kovacs to finish 1-2.

Local favorite Silvia Dalotto swam well in front of cheering crowds and finished fourth in her best race of the year.

1. Christof Wandratsch (Germany) 9 hours 22 minutes 59 seconds
2. Diego Degano (Argentina) 9 hours 23 minutes 3 seconds
3. Attila Molnar (Hungary) 9 hours 27 minutes 0 seconds
4. Fernando Flietas (Argentina) 9 hours 29 minutes 33 seconds
5. Fernando Terrilli (Argentina) 9 hours 30 minutes 35 seconds
6. Gustavo Oriozabala (Argentina) 9 hours 44 minutes 50 seconds
7. Dusan Toth Szabo (Hungary) 9 hours 46 minutes 29 seconds
8. Claudio Plit (Argentina) 9 hours 48 minutes 44 seconds
9. Javier Romero (Argentina) 9 hours 49 minutes 34 seconds
10. Diego Flietas (Argentina) 10 hours 16 minutes 34 seconds
11. Georgio Alliata (Italy) 10 hours 51 minutes 50 seconds
DNF Mijic Vojislav
DNF Hans van Goor (Netherlands)
DNF Maurizzio Cozzoli (Italy)

Women’s Results
1. Karen Burton (USA) 9 hours 41 minutes 42 seconds
2. Rita Kovacs (Hungary) 10 hours 7 minutes 47 seconds
3. Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia) 10 hours 8 minutes 28 seconds
4. Silvia Dalotto (Argentina) 10 hours 17 minutes 5 seconds
5. Maria-Louisa Cabanero (Spain) 10 hours 21 minutes 43 seconds
6. Christiana Fanzeres (Brazil) 10 hours 28 minutes 27 seconds
7. Ana Mesquita (Brazil) 10 hours 37 minutes 40 seconds
8. Irene van der Laan (Netherlands) 10 hours 43 minutes 3 seconds
9. Yuko Matsuzaki (Japan) 11 hours 4 minutes 27 seconds

In the 35 km 2-day 2-stage Riviera Marathon Swim held in Savona, Italy on June 26th – 27th, Greg Streppel and Shelley Taylor-Smith won their respective divisions in the 24-26°C water and 24°C air. On Day 1, the race was a 24 km sea swim from Laigueglia to Pietra Ligure. On Day 2, the race was a 14 km sea swim from Finale Ligure to Noli.

Race director reported, “We had two great days of swimming. It was a keen competition with the sprinters having the advantage ove rthe marathoners. All the swimmers found the back-to-back competition demanding. Those from the colder countries had trouble with the warm temperatures so early in the season.

Men’s Results
1. Greg Streppel (Canada) 7 hours 30 minutes 39 seconds
2. Hans van Goor (Netherlands) 7 hours 31 minutes 57 seconds
3. David O’Brien (Australia) 7 hours 36 minutes 0 seconds
4. D. Taraboi (Italy) 7 hours 38 minutes 58 seconds
5. Chad Hundeby (USA) 7 hours 40 minutes 27 seconds
6. S. Chiarandini (Italy) 7 hours 46 minutes 29 seconds
7. Diego Degano (Argentina) 7 hours 48 minutes 53 seconds
8. Z. Kade (Hungary) 7 hours 50 minutes 9 seconds
9. Attila Molnar (Hungary) 7 hours 51 minutes 42 seconds
10. A. Hussein (Syria) 7 hours 53 minutes 7 seconds
11. J. Fernandez (Argentina) 7 hours 55 minutes 13 seconds
12. D. Kvrgic (Croatia) 7 hours 58 minutes 48 seconds
13. Fernando Flietas (Argentina) 8 hours 2 minutes 58 seconds
14. David Alleva (USA) 8 hours 3 minutes 57 seconds
15. F. Turk (Slovenia) 8 hours 6 minutes 19 seconds
16. Fernando Terrili (Argentina) 8 hours 9 minutes 26 seconds
17. Fernando Terrilli (Argentina) 8 hours 9 minutes 29 seconds
18. G. Gagliotti (Italy) 8 hours 11 minutes 12 seconds
19. G. Oriozabala (Argentina) 8 hours 11 minutes 47 seconds
20. M. Sanda (Czech Republic) 8 hours 17 minutes 32 seconds
21. Dusan Toth Szabo (Hungary) 8 hours 21 minutes 32 seconds
22. R. Kamas (Czech Republic) 8 hours 30 minutes 34 seconds
23. Attila Manyoki (Hungary) 9 hours 20 minutes 19 seconds

Women’s Results
1. Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia) 7 hours 56 minutes 53 seconds
2. Karen Burton (USA) 8 hours 13 minutes 56 seconds
3. K. Dyke (Canada) 8 hours 29 minutes 14 seconds
4. N. Tomanovic (Croatia) 8 hours 36 minutes 40 seconds
5. Y. Hlavacova (Czech Republic) 8 hours 39 minutes 14 seconds
6. Silvia Dalotto (Argentina) 8 hours 58 minutes 8 seconds
7. A. Mesquita (Brazil) 9 hours 24 minutes 12 seconds
8. P. Tomesova (Czech Republic) 9 hours 49 minutes 45 seconds
9. Yuko Matsuzaki (Japan) 10 hours 3 minutes 4 seconds

Traversee du lac St-Jean in Quebec, Canada was held on August 1st 1993 with the water temperature ranged from 16°C at the start in Peribonka to 21°C at the finish. The race director reported, “The weather was perfect with sunshine all day.

The winds were nil for the first six hours, then moderate from the east causing choppy waves. Chad Hundeby lived up to his title as “The American Express”. From the start, Hundeby dominated this race. At the halfway stage, he was on course for a swim of about 8 hours 50 minutes.

After the turn, he took a course away from the direct line and this cost him time. A great battle for second place between Hans van Goor and Attila Molnar which finished in the final kilometer when Hans showed his sprinting skills.

World champion Shelley Taylor-Smith showed her class after four hours when she started to peg back the men to finish fourth place overall.

This event was a true classic marathon with some 10,000 people cramming into the finish stadium to show their appreciation for the swimmers.”

Men’s Results
1. Chad Hundeby (USA) 9 hours 0 minutes 19 seconds
2. Hans van Goor (Netherlands) 9 hours 18 minutes 32 seconds
3. Attila Molnar (Hungary) 9 hours 18 minutes 56 seconds
4. Diego Degano (Argentina) 9 hours 33 minutes 14 seconds
5. David O’Brien (Australia) 9 hours 34 minutes 5 seconds
6. Jean-Francois Roussy (Canada) 9 hours 47 minutes 34 seconds
7. Fernando Terrilli (Argentina) 9 hours 51 minutes 35 seconds
8. Diego Fleitas (Argentina) 9 hours 58 minutes 31 seconds
9. Claudio Plit (Argentina) 10 hours 7 minutes 3 seconds
10. Gustavo Oriozabala (Argentina) 10 hours 10 minutes 31 seconds
11. Mark Newman (Great Britain) 10 hours 17 minutes 51 seconds
12. Dusan Toth Szabo (Hungary) 10 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds
DNF Ayman Saad (Egypt)
DNF Fernando Fleitas (Argentina)
DNF Michael Beranek (Czech Republic)

Women’s Results
1. Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia) 9 hours 31 minutes 7 seconds
2. Karen Burton (USA) 9 hours 55 minutes 5 seconds
3. Kim Dyke (Canada) 9 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds
4. Annie Grandisson (Canada) 10 hours 15 minutes 37 seconds
5. Rita Kovacs (Hungary) 10 hours 42 minutes 47 seconds
6. Sylvia Dalotto (Argentina) 11 hours 1 minute 17 seconds
7. Gisele Roy (Canada) 11 hours 18 minutes 13 seconds

The 34 km Atlantic City Ocean Marathon was held on August 14th around Absecon Island in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Men’s Results
1. Chad Hundeby (USA) 7 hours 13 minutes 32 seconds
2. Diego Degano (Argentina) 7 hours 19 minutes 4 seconds
3. Attila Molnar (Hungary) 7 hours 26 minutes 52 seconds
4. David O’Brien (Australia) 7 hours 29 minutes 6 seconds
5. Jeff Kostoff (USA) 7 hours 33 minutes 3 seconds
6. Fernando Fleitas (Argentina) 7 hours 35 minutes 41 seconds
7. Claudio Plit (Argentina) 7 hours 45 minutes 39 seconds
8. Jean-Francois Roussy (Canada) 7 hours 46 minutes 4 seconds
9. P. H. Mullen (USA) 7 hours 46 minutes 7 seconds
10. David Alleva (USA) 7 hours 47 minutes 9 seconds
11. Julio Fernandez (Argentina) 7 hours 50 minutes 0 seconds
12. Fernando Terrilli (Argentina) 7 hours 53 minutes 29 seconds
13. Dusan Toth Szabo (Hungary) 8 hours 2 minutes 50 seconds
14. Javia Romero (Argentina) 8 hours 25 minutes 57 seconds
15. Ed Brown (USA) 8 hours 35 minutes 23 seconds
16. Ken McAlpine (USA) 8 hours 47 minutes 7 seconds
17. Alliata Giorgio (Italy) 8 hours 53 minutes 46 seconds

Women’s Results
1. Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia) 7 hours 19 minutes 15 seconds
2. Karen Burton (USA) 7 hours 36 minutes 50 seconds
3. Kim Dyke (Canada) 7 hours 53 minutes 30 seconds
4. Annie Grandisson (Canada) 8 hours 14 minutes 58 seconds
5. Sylvia Dalotto (Argentina) 8 hours 17 minutes 3 seconds
6. Yuko Matsuzaki (Japan) 9 hours 13 minutes 3 seconds

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