To see all of our 2018 Swammy Awards presented by TYR, click here.
2018 Open Water Male Swimmer of the Year: Kristof Rasovszky, Hungary
Kristof Rasovszky has had a huge year. At the European Championships in August, Rasovszky claimed gold in the 5k and the 25k, as well as silver in the 10k, which came down to a photo finish but was ultimately won by Ferry Weertman from the Netherlands.
Rasovszky kept his momentum going throughout the 2018 LEN Open Water Cup series, where he came away victorious in 4 of the 6 men’s races on the 2018 circuit. The 21-year-old won the 10k in Eliat and Barcelona, and the 5k in Copenhage and Bled. Throughout the LEN series, Rasovszky squared off against the best open water swimmers in the world, and even took down fellow European Champion Kirill Abrosimov in the 10k in Eliat, and open water World Champion Marc-Antoine Olivier in the 5k in Barcelona. The 2018 victory marks the second consecutive year that Rasovszky has won the LEN Open Water Cup series.
Rasovszky also made an appearance at the 2018 FINA Marathon Series in the United Arab Emerites, where he won the bronze medal in the 10k behind Florian Wellbrock (Germany) and Gregorio Paltrenieri (Italy).
In the fall of 2016, a then-19-year-old Rasovszky won the boy’s 10k title at the European Junior Open Water Championships in Hoorn, Netherlands. Prior to that September event, Rasovszky represented Hungary at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he swam the 1500 meter freestyle, placing 35th.
Honorable Mention:
- Ferry Weertman, Netherlands: The winner of this very Swammy award in 2014, 2016, and 2017, Weertman has remained a dominant force in open water swimming. Weertman claimed the 2018 FINA Marathon World Series overall title, as well as won the gold medal in the 10k ahead of Rasovszky at the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Weertman took home another European Championships gold as part of the Netherlands’ open water team (relay) competition, which the Dutch won by a mere 0.6 ahead of the Germans. On top of all the racing in Europe, Weertman also made a trip to the United States to swim the 2018 RCP Tiburon Mile, which he won in a time of 21:50.
- Jordan Wilimovsky, United States: Wilimovsky is utterly dominant in the United States, and is a heavyweight abroad as well. Wilimovsky can seamlessly transition from open water to pool and contend with the best in the world in both disciplines. At the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships, Wilimovsky claimed gold in the men’s 10k event. While in Japan, Wilimovsky picked up gold in the men’s 1500 meter freestyle and placed 2nd in the men’s 800 meter freestyle.