Olympic swimmer Rene “Guy” Concepcion wants the global aquatics world to think of the Philippines when it comes to beautiful waters and outstanding open water swimming competitions.

And the time may not be far off if Concepcion realizes his dreams. “It’s time for the Philippines to become the first country the world will think of when it comes to fantastic blue waters and great races,” said the race director of the 358 Swim. Concepcion to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“We just need a long-term program and some current swimmers must learn to love the ocean more than the pool,” said Concepcion who competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.

Like many countries surrounded by the ocean with thousands of kilometers of seashores who have a relatively few number of swimming pools, Concepcion believes Filipinos have a better chance of excelling in the sport of open water swimming than going head-to-head in the pool against the likes of Australia, China, Germany, Brazil and the USA. “We have oceans and blue waters around.”

His dreams and predictions sound familiar when considering similar discussions in Samoa, the Cayman Islands, Fiji, Mexico, Malta, Gambia and numerous other countries around the world.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source