A Brief History of Open Water Activities
Within the United States and FINA
Introduction

When I learned that USA Swimming is in the process of forming a task force to study and recommend possible reorganization of their Open Water structure and organization, I realized that I am one of the few people who could provide a historical prospective to the task force as to where we were and how we got to our present positions. Unfortunately most of this information is squirreled away in my head.

In an effort to partially correct this situation, I have endeavored to highlight the history of Open Water Swimming in the United States and FINA from my initial involvement with the AAU to the present. I will not concentrate on our great open water swimmers or their achievements, but rather on the organization, program and structure. My comments on FINA will express personal views on structure, organization and operating procedures in addition to the historical situation.

My first involvement with open water was when I walked in at the AAU Long Distance Committee meeting in Washington DC 1974. The AAU administered the Long Distance Swimming Committee as an entity separate from the AAU swimming program. I asked so many questions that I came out of the meeting as the National Vice Chairman without ever seeing a Long Distance Swimming event. On the way out of the meeting, Glen Hummer advised that he was looking for a person like me for several years and he resigned as Chairman of the Long Distance Swimming Committee, effectively moving me to the chairmanship.

A Brief Chronology
AAU
The entire National AAU Long Distance program consisted of a single championship race, a four mile event for men and a three mile race for women around a quarter-mile closed course. The AAU open water program at the time covered both Masters and Senior Open Water Swimmers. USMS was concentrating on the pool events.

There were professional marathon events but with the AAU’s adherence to a strict code about amateurism, those events could not be included in the AAU program. The British Long Distance Swimming Association conducted a 25 Kilometer Invitational race every four years in Lake Windermere in western England. In 1978, the AAU authorized an expenditure of $100.00 each to Mary Beth Colpo and Penny Lee Dean to assist with expenses to participate in the Windermere event. A search of all available records indicates that this is the first time that any open water swimmers officially represented the USA in an international open water competition, and received any financial assistance to do so.

The only other financial assistance to athletes was for defending national champions – the AAU required that a National Championship Meet host pay for the transportation of the previous year’s champions, both individual and team, to defend their titles.

United States Open Water Swimming, Inc.

When the Amateur Sports Act required the AAU to relinquish its administrative and jurisdictional control, Ross Wales, then President of United States Swimming, Inc., helped form United States Open Water, Inc. We honored and accepted both US Swimming and US Masters Swimming registration and sanctions. After a very brief period, US Swimming offered a merger proposal that US Open Water Swimming agreed and the merger was implemented.

USA Swimming

Under the terms of the merger agreement, US Open Water, Inc. agreed to turn over all its assets to United States Swimming, Inc. (Approximately $200.00). In exchange, US Swimming would 1) Agree to the formation of a more or less independently administered open water committee within the US Swimming organization and structure, 2) Provide for an ex-officio member on the USA Swimming Board of Directors, 3) Provide for five members of the Open Water Community to act as at large members of the US Swimming House of Delegates, and 4) The National Open Water Coordinator would be an elected national level position. US Swimming later became known as USA Swimming.

Masters Open Water Swimming

US Swimming administered and directed the Masters Open water program for approximately six years, until Dave Gray petitioned USA Swimming to transfer the Masters Open Water program and activities to United States Masters Swimming (USMS). There was no opposition and for many years, USMS assigned a liaison to the US Swimming Open Water Committee.

Governance
Oversight

Under Bill Maxson’s presidency, a reorganization resulted in having the interests of Open Water Swimming represented on the Board of Directors by the Program Operations Vice President.

It has always been the goal and objective of the Open Water Committee to become fully integrated into the overall USA Swimming Program. In 2004, some of rules that formerly made up Part Seven of the Rule Book, (and before that, Part Eight,) were moved into appropriate positions in the rulebook. The Board of Directors have committed to making the USA Swimming program and its swimmers the best in the world. A Task Force is being formed to determine the organizational structure that can best meet this commitment.

Committee Structure
The committee structure also changed many times over the years. Initially under the AAU and the early USA Swimming, the Open Water Committee was very loosely organized and membership on the committee was anyone who showed up for a meeting. The Committee formed into two sections, one for Masters and the other USA Swimming. As stated above, the Masters split off into their own organization under USMS.

Now being responsible for the USA Swimming Open Water Program, the membership was defined as At Large Members and one member from each LSC. When this became administratively unsound, the Committee consisted entirely of at large members and the Masters Liaison. The committee, with an elected Open Water Coordinator, continued to oversee the Open Water Program for a number of years, until the committee decided to have the position of Open Water Coordinator be designated by the President. At the same time the committee split into two bodies, a Domestic Open Water Committee and an International Open Water Committee. The rationale for this action was to give the National Team Coach, who also serves as the Chairman of the International Open Water Committee, more time to concentrate on swimmer development and the international program without becoming bogged down in the Domestic Programs. Both the Domestic and Open Water Committee Chairmen are nominated by the committees and appointed by the President.

International (Representation in FINA)

After the 1984 Southern California Open Water International Invitational meet, a few of the individuals representing International interests met to determine how they could get a marathon open water event into the Olympics. Our initial plan was to create an International Open Water group and then petition FINA and the International Olympic Committee for inclusion. This was at the same time that FINA was relaxing its strict amateur codes. Dale Petranech was tasked to ask Bob Helmick, the FINA President the best way to proceed. He advised that forming an international open water organization would not prove beneficial as FINA worked only through its recognized FINA Affiliated Organizations and that the International Olympic Committee dealt only with FINA regarding adding events to the Olympic Program, but he agreed to help. Through Mr. Helmick’s efforts the FINA Bureau approved a FINA Open Water Commission to study the Open Water question and come up with the initial rules and procedures.

The commission consisted of Mr. Berry Rickards (Australia), Mr. Monier Sabre (Egypt), Mr. Roger Parsons (Great Britain), Mr. Jaroslav Novak (Czech Republic), Dale Petranech (USA), with Mr. Gunnar Werner (Sweden) serving as the FINA Bureau Liaison. We decided that the distance of the FINA event should be 25 Kilometers, as it was doubtful that a swimmer training exclusively for the pool would succeed at the 25K distance since special training was required. Some advised that the distance should be at least 40 Kilometers. We wrote the rules with the 25 Kilometer in mind, using existing British Long Distance Swimming Association, English Channel, and USA Swimming Open Water rules as the basis for the FINA rules. We suggested that the 25 Kilometer event should be held in conjunction with the other FINA disciplines at the World Championship every four years. We felt that a FINA World Marathon Swimming Cup should be held in Olympic Years until an open water event could be added to the Olympic Program.

We recommended that a FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Sub Committee be established and work in conjunction with the FINA Technical Swimming Committee. We soon discovered that this placed too much additional work on the existing committee and they were unable to take on the additional responsibility.

For better administrative control and conduct of the FINA Open Water program the FINA Bureau established the Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (TOWSC). The mission of the FINA Technical Open Water Committee is the same as it is for other FINA Technical Committees, to establish the technical rules and conduct FINA events in that discipline.

While FINA was relaxing its amateur code, the promoters of the older Professional circuit reorganized to form the International Marathon Swimming Association (IMSA) and operated on the fringe of the FINA activities. A meeting was held with Ross Wales presiding to bring the IMSA into FINA. The agreement required the Promoters to follow FINA rules and Procedures and FINA would pay the expenses of the “FINA Marathon World Series” Commissioner (Roger Parsons) to oversee and run the FINA events and pay the swimmers a cash award based on their final position at the end of the year.

Initially things went fairly well, but several promoters had difficulty understanding they had to deal with their respective FINA Affiliated Federations. A disagreement between the FINA Executive and the IMSA FINA Commissioner resulted in the resignation of the FINA Commissioner from both his position and the FINA Technical Open Water Sub-Committee. The IMSA continued to operate and most followed the FINA Rules. However, conditions continued to deteriorate until FINA issued an ultimatum those swimmers who participate in any race not in full accord with FINA rules and procedures would be bared from all FINA competitions. After much wrangling the IMSA folded their tent and turned over operations to FINA. The FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee is responsible for and conducts the competitions in the FINA World Marathon Swimming Cup Series.

Of the initial TOWSC membership, there were only four members who had extensive technical knowledge of open water swimming. This was of great concern to some committee members, but in fact, every member of the committee brought a special skill, whether it was technical or political. The chairman had been on other FINA committees and his ability to sort through the FINA bureaucracy was and is unparalleled. The skills of other members are demonstrated by the fact that there was one former and eventually two future FINA Bureau members on the Committee. Other members possessed excellent organizational skills and were politically astute.

We have done an excellent job in selecting our representatives to the Open Water Technical Congresses. The recent decision to send a third non-voting representative is wise indeed. Whatever support is necessary should be provided.

One of our strongest points has always been the cooperation and eagerness of our FINA delegates to help each other within the FINA structure. The USA Swimming/FINA team of Dale Neuburger, Ross Wales, Carol Zaleski, Sid Cassidy and Dale Petranech, with support from the National Federation, has been a viable force and has never lost sight of our mission of promoting the assisting the athletes from the United States and throughout the world.
Competition
National Team/ National Team Coach
Internationally, the Open Water Committee approved the position of National Team Open Water Coach, who was responsible for all aspects of the National Open Water Team and international competition(s). The FINA programs and activities will be discussed later. The original concept was to have the National Team Open Water Coach as an ex officio member of the OIO. But for the past number of years the individual filling the Open Water Coach position was elected coincidentally by the general membership to serve as a full member of the OIO, so the ex officio position was unnecessary. The National Team Coach established the practices and policies for our National Open Water Teams and International competitions over the years, and those policies are published in the OIO Policy Manual.

Events
Domestic
Over a period of years, the USA Swimming Open Water Community experimented with program development to ascertain the best possible championship schedule of events. While we were the administrators of the Masters Open Water program, we initiated a postal meet system whereby the events became Masters National Championship events. Last year 2,265 swimmers competed in the Masters Championship One Hour Swim for Distance Postal Meet. We recommended the same for the USA Swimming program, but the Board of Directors felt that the term Championship could only be used if there were direct head to head competition. Some of the events the USA Swimming Open Water committee contested as National Championship events, but which are now deleted from the program, included the One Mile, 15 Kilometer, National Team Long Distance Swim (similar to cross country), and the Quarter-mile Straightaway Four Mile. At one time the distance for women in this last mentioned event was three miles.
International
Our first fully funded USA Swimming Open Water Team competed in the 1980 Lake Windermere International in the Lake District in England. The first International meet in the USA was a 15 Kilometer event at Seal Beach California and the race from Catalina Island to the Mainland in California was conducted in 1984.

Prior to the 1978 supplemental funds going to Penny Dean and Mary Beth Colpo, there is no record of any funding of American Amateur Open Water Swimming. Most of the open water swimming prior to that time and immediately following it was on the professional marathon swimming circuit. Under existing FINA, AAU and USA Swimming Rules no contact with the professionals was permitted. In fact, at the time, a swimmer could not compete in an amateur event and also as a master swimmer.
Safety

From the beginning, safety considerations have been paramount in our planning and conducting of an event. A few examples come to mind. The first USA Swimming International event contested in the United States in 1984 was a race across the Catalina Channel. Special training was conducted for all escort and safety craft, close liaison was established and maintained with governmental authorities. We even had a “Seaweed Alert”, code for shark sighting, and most important, a written safety plan. At one Lake Windermere Invitational, Coach Penny Dean reached into the water and touched a hypothermic swimmer who was leading by approximately a half mile with less than a mile to swim, thereby disqualifying her. Coach Dean felt that the safety of the swimmer was more important than a possible victory. Our coaches have always considered the safety and well being of the swimmers as the most important factor in their coaching and training efforts. The USA Swimming authorities have not sent teams to events when they thought the water temperature would be a health hazard or the political situation in a particular country seemed a threat to safety.

The ‘line them up, shoot the gun, and hope that all the swimmers finish’ method that prevailed early in the sport’s history cannot and will not be tolerated. The loosey-goosey safety plans needed to be and were improved and replaced. We may never reach perfection but we must never stop trying. The United States has led the world and will continue to be the leader in safety considerations and implementations in Open Water Swimming.

Considerations for Future
Governance
(An editorial comment at this time, this is a consideration to be addressed as we reorganize and incorporate the Open Water activities into the mainstream of USA Swimming. We have to give the various committees absorbing the activities the tools to accomplish the mission and still not interfere with their other programs and activities).
Officiating
FINA TOWSC is responsible for the officiating at all FINA events. USA Swimming has long supported this effort by assisting with event officials briefings at the events and special officials seminars sponsored be FINA. Often USA Swimming Open Water representatives present these briefings and seminars, especially when a FINA TOWSC member is not available. In USA Swimming we hold annual and supplemental officials orientations at the USAS Convention and Championship sites. Recent efforts resulted in an Open Water Swimming Committee member being assigned to the Officials Committee with the goal of entirely incorporating Open Water Officiating into the main stream of USA Swimming Officiating. An officiating plan has been developed and it is now our responsibility to amend it as necessary and implement it on a national level. Some LSC have excellent officiating programs but more are needed.

Safety

We need to continue to look toward the improvement of our safety efforts. Our rules and regulations and our policy procedures require that we make safety our number one concern. This is essential because of the several inherent safety problems facing all open water events that are not usually found in pool events to include but not limited to hypothermic and exhausted swimmers, the transport of an injured swim to an appropriate medical unit for care, briefing escort personnel, and preparing a written safety and evacuation plan for each meet and meet site. The USA Swimming Open Water Guidelines hint at several items and their solutions, but every meet director, official and sanctioning officer needs to be aware of potential safety concerns. We have an excellent safety record but we all need to work at keeping this fine record.
Political Capital in FINA
Depending on the individuals filling key positions, often the Honorary Secretary is more powerful and has more clout than the Honorary Chairman. He/she creates the initial agenda and controls the flow of the committee’s correspondence.

It usually takes more that one term for a federation’s Committee or Board Member to learn his job and to be effective. While a life long assignment should not be made, a multiple year assignment should be considered. It is not unreasonable for a person to work up through the system from TOWSC to Technical Swimming Committee to the FINA Bureau. While FINA has the final say, USA Swimming is in a position to make strong recommendations. The USA Swimming assigned FINA Technical Committee Member should be a “small unit” leader, skilled in development and implementation of longer range plans rather than the day-to-day operations. They should also be able to work well under adverse conditions and make contributions in a task-orientated organization. In addition representing USA Swimming’s interests, they must have the courage of their convictions and keep the overall good of the activity at the forefront of their actions.

Too often the USA Swimming membership does not fully understand or appreciate the delicate nature of operating effectively within FINA. At one time, a former member of the USA Swimming Board of Directors directed our FINA Technical Swimming Committee member to “go there and tell FINA that we want…” rather than “You know what we would like and you are aware of the existing politics, go over there and get the best deal that you are able to negotiate.”

Goals (Olympic event)

From the very beginning of FINA recognizing Open Water Swimming, USA Swimming and the FINA TOWSC have been working toward inclusion of an Open Water Swimming Event on the Olympic Program. The original groups were looking toward the 25 kilometer escorted distance, but we were advised that the IOC that it would be looking to keep the numbers small. A 10 Kilometer unescorted event would be more in line with their goals and objectives. Even with no increase in the number of participants allowed, very few federations send a full complement of swimmers to the Olympics, so the event could be hosted without increasing the total number of participants. Four swimmers, two men and two women would make up the Open Water contingent. The TOWSC is also discussing qualifying events that would further reduce the numbers. Once established as an event in the Olympics, work could start on adding additional events or substituting for the existing events Synchronized Swimming has done. The primary goal has to be to establish an Olympic Open Water event.

Dale Petranech
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