Ned Wieland (23, Australia, MSF bio here, @channelswim2017) has made a name for himself in the open water. Early.
In 2017 as a 16-year-old from Sydney, he won the C.S.A. Gold Medal for the Fastest Swim of the Year across the English Channel in 9 hours 45 minutes. Within the next year, Wieland completed an 9 hour 8 minute crossing of the Catalina Channel and an 8 hour 21 minute 20 Bridges Manhattan Island Swim to become the youngest male to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
As a 22-year-old last year, Wieland carried on the long history of Australian swimmers who won the prestigious Waikiki Roughwater Swim on Oahu in dramatic fashion. He sprinted ahead of his younger brother Duke Wieland just enough to win by 1 second up the beach in a run to the finish in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
But the tables were turned last week when Duke won handily in 43:54 over brother Ned who finished second in 44:26.
Ned versus Duke Over The Years
- 2025: #1 Duke Wieland in 43:54 over #2 Ned Wieland in 44:26
- 2024: #1 Ned Wieland din 51:13 versus #2 Duke Wieland in 51:14
- 2023: #4 Ned Wieland in 4817 versus #7 Duke Wieland in 50:11
- 2022: #4 Duke Wieland in 55:41
- 2021: race cancelled due to Covid
- 2020: race cancelled due to Covid
2025 Top 20 Finishers
- Duke Wieland 43:54
- Ned Wieland, 44:26
- Thomas Rathbun, 44:39
- Evan Pickles, 44:39
- Patrick Ransford, 44:40
- Alex Kostich, 44:41
- Cooper Ketchen, 44:45
- Joby Bernstein, 44:49
- Riley Clinton, 45:18
- Noah Shin, 45:27
- Suzanne Ryan, 45:50 [first woman]
- Kevin Fink, 46:03
- Kona Flanagan, 46:11 [second woman]
- Brahman Davis, 46:40
- Zane Imonen, 46:47
- Brooke Bennett, 46:53 [third woman]
- Laura Wilson, 47:02
- Brian Schmidt, 47:02
- Tom Lileikis, 47:46
- Cheveyo Rodriguez, 47:54
Swimming In The Family
Channel swimming veteran Stefan Reinke is shown below with #11 Reina Lileikas, daughter of previous two-time WRS winner Joe Lileikis (1981-1982)and the second-place woman Kona Flanagan, daughter of previous two-time winner John Flanagan (in 2000-2001).
© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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