IT’S AN IMPRESSIVELY SLICK OPERATION BUT AT ITS HEART IS A SIMPLE AND INCLUSIVE LOVE OF SWIMMING
in 2009, refl ects: “There is a great atmosphere for the event. The organisers really do a great job with promoting the event. There were thousands of people on the beach cheering us on. The whole city was get ing involved!” It’s this atmosphere, alongside big money prizes (the US$50,000 total pot for professionals is one of the largest for open water races), and a unique race structure and set ing, that have helped the event make its name, in turn boosting the profi le of open water swimming in Brazil. But the organisers certainly have no intention of let ing things rest. “We want to keep improving the event in Brazil for both amateur and professional swimmers and keep raising the level of the elite competition,” Monteiro says. They seek to innovate, not just with race formats (the 3km challenge is new this year) but by developing the overall experience of the competitors. “For the amateurs, our top priority is safety,” says Monteiro. “We have over 100 lifeguards, on the sand and in the water, and we use extra large buoys to mark the course.”
While ensuring basic provisions are of a high standard (they provide drinks, snacks, swim cap and dry-fi t T-shirt to each entrant), care has also been taken to create a unique brand: the winners’ trophies are shaped like tridents and the event even has its own song. A strong identity will surely help the organisers’ ambitions to develop internationally; since 2010 there has been a race in Portugal (called Rei e Rainha do Mar Europa), and more are planned. It’s an impressively slick operation, but at its heart is a simple and inclusive love of swimming. “It's a very festive and democratic atmosphere,” says Monteiro. The multiple distances, he says, make it suitable for families and for people of all ages and skills, and celebrities get involved, too – past swimmers have included well-known Brazilian journalists, actors, TV presenters and politicians. There’s also a disabled category, which in 2011 will feature around 100 athletes. Marcelo Collet, a Brazilian Paralympic athlete and a specialist in marathon swimming, is a regular competitor and oſt en among the top fi nishing positions in the amateur challenge. The event also has a partnership with the Benjamin Constant Institute for Blind Children, providing guides (including ex-Olympic swimmers and water polo players) for its team of swimmers.
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Photos © Eff ect Sport
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