Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
Starting next year, the Guinness World Records will include Oceans Seven as part of its records.
The following individuals have completed solo crossings of the English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait, Molokai Channel, Tsugaru Channel, and North Channel.
* Stephen Redmond (Ireland)
* Anna-Carin Nordin (Sweden)
* Michelle Macy (USA)
* Darren Miller (USA)
* Adam Walker (UK)
* Kimberley Chambers (New Zealand)
* Antonio Argüelles (Mexico)
The following swimmers have only one more channel to join the illustrious group of Oceans Seven swimmers:
* Penny Palfrey (Australia): English Channel (2 times), Strait of Gibraltar, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait, Molokai Channel, Tsugaru Channel
* Stephen Junk (Australia): English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Cook Strait, Catalina Channel, Tsugaru Channel, Molokai Channel
* Rohan Dattatrey More (India): English Channel, Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, North Channel, Tsugaru Channel, Strait of Gibraltar
* Pat Gallant-Charette (USA): English Channel (2 times), Catalina Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Tsugaru Channel, North Channel, Molokai Channel
* Ion Lazarenco (Moldavia/Ireland): English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, North Channel, Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, Tsugaru Channel
* Abhejali Bernardová (Czech Republic): English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Catalina Channel, Tsugaru Channel, Molokai Channel
* Adrian Sarchet (Guernsey): English Channel, Catalina Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, North Channel, Molokai Channel, Tsugaru Channel
* Attila Mányoki (Hungary): English Channel, Tsugaru Channel, Molokai Channel, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait, Strait of Gibraltar
The following swimmers have only two more channels to become Oceans Seven swimmers:
* Forrest Nelson (USA): English Channel, Catalina Channel (both ways and two-way), Molokai Channel (both ways), Tsugaru Channel, Cook Strait
* Craig Lenning (USA): North Channel, English Channel, Catalina Channel, Tsugaru Channel, Cook Strait
* David Yudovin (USA): Catalina Channel (4 times), Strait of Gibraltar, Tsugaru Channel, English Channel, Cook Strait, [deceased]
* Elizabeth Fry (USA): English Channel (6 times), Catalina Channel (2 times), Strait of Gibraltar, Molokai Channel, Tsugaru Channel
* Pieter Christian Jongeneel Anderica (Spain): Strait of Gibraltar (3 times), English Channel, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait, Molokai Channel
* Steve Walker (U.S.A.): English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Catalina Channel, North Channel, Molokai Channel
* Cameron Bellamy (South Africa): English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Catalina Channel, North Channel, Molokai Channel
Argüelles, who became the oldest individual to complete the Oceans Seven this year was nominated for the 2017 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.
His fellow nominees include the following:
1. Evgenij Pop Acev (Macedonia)
2. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico)
3. John Batchelder (USA)
4. Guillermo Bertola (Argentina)
5. Avram Iancu (Romania)
6. Stéphane Lecat (France)
7. Dr. Lucky Meisenheimer (USA)
8. Lynton Mortensen (Australia)
9. Simone Ruffini (Italy)
10. Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
11. Sayed Ihsan Taheri (Afghanistan)
12. Ferry Weertman (Netherlands)
13. Philip Yorke (Great Britain)
Argüelles achieved the Oceans Seven at the age of 58, 20 years older than the average age of the other swimmers who have accomplished the same feat. His final two swims, celebrated throughout his native Mexico, were tough: a 11 hour 20 minute 23 km crossing of the Cook Strait in New Zealand and a 13 hour 32 minute 35 km crossing of the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland. He trained hard for both, traveling frequently to San Francisco from Mexico City to acclimate to cold water.
To register and vote on the WOWSA Awards and the 2017 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year here.
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