News Headlines

Bell Buoy Challenge champions Rok Kerin and Dominique Dryding put on an inspiring exhibition for the young swimmers following in their wake as they powered to victory in the Izani Siqubhe swim at the Nelson Mandela Bay Splash Festival on Sunday.

The 1km swim, which took place at Hobie Beach in Port Elizabeth, provided a platform for Masakhane Future Stars development swimmers to compete in an open-water event while rubbing shoulders with the best in the business, said watersports coordinator Michael Zoetmulder.

Slovenian champion Kerin (27) was first out of the water in 13:43, followed by Gauteng’s former national three-kilometre champion Abdul Malick Railoun (18) in 14:24. The latter pipped PE’s Chris van de Sande (18) by four seconds.

Nelson Mandela Bay will be not only be hosting the Nedbank South African Disabled Championships and South African Iron Man in April 2010 but now another aquatics spectacle that compliments the extremely popular Axxess DSL Ocean Racing Series will take place over the Easter Weekend.

The introduction of the 'Ocean Racing Series World Championships', the ‘Nelson Mandela Bay Bell Bouy Challenge’ and ‘King of Nelson Mandela Bay’ is sure to attract some of South Africa’s leading open water swimming competitors as they gear up for the South African National Aquatics Championships that take place in Durban from 17th April.

With interest being shown by a number of international athletes which include the likes of Brazilian ace Poliana Okimoto and Olympic and World Champion Thomas Lurz from Germany, the local public and visitors will be treated to some exciting racing.

“Plans are afoot to invite an “All Stars” team of at least three male and three female athletes based on their performances at the 5km & 10km Midmar Mile International Festival which takes place on the 15th and 16th February” former South African open water supremo, Neville Smith commented on Saturday.

“The massive strides that Mike Zoetmulder and Zports have made in promoting the discipline of open water swimming in the Eastern Cape over the past few years has been tremendous and as such it is imperative that events such as these events be included in the athlete development pathway as we strive to broaden our athlete base in our quest for glory at the 2012 Olympics and beyond” Smith concluded.

Smith who officiated at the inaugural 10km Marathon Swimming event Beijing Olympics and has mentored most of South Africa’s current crop of open water athletes as either Team South Africa coach and or manager will be the head referee at the events.

Also see www.bellbuoychallenge.co.za