Top South African long-distance swimmer and Olympic Games hopeful Tyron Venter (21) beat his closest rival by 14 minutes to win the 7,5km Cadiz Vista Nova Freedom Swim from Robben Island to Big Bay, Bloubergstrand, on Saturday.
Braving a water temperature of 14 degrees Celsius, 3m ocean swells and scores of jellyfish, Venter made the crossing in a time of one hour and 34 minutes. He missed the race record by 11 minutes, but beat his nearest competitor, Barend Nortje, by 14 minutes.
Third was Ross Leibbrandt in 1:53.
Venter took home R10 000 in prize money — one of the biggest purses in competitive swimming in South Africa.
Natalie du Toit came in fourth. She was the first woman home in 1:57, beating strong contender Carina Bruwer by less than a minute.
Pretoria-based Venter took the lead from the start as the first group of a field of 82 swimmers set off from Murray’s Beach on Robben Island at 10.30am.
Venter said the water temperature was ”warmer than previous races” and that the going was tough but ”fine”.
”It was tough coming in through the breakers,” he said of the finish, ”but otherwise the swim was nice. My plan was to build up a lead fast and hold on to it. The swim went so quickly and I didn’t expect to finish so fast.”
Venter has competed in two previous races, finishing second in both. He is fast becoming one of South Africa’s most exciting long-distance swimmers, having won most open-water events in the country over the past year.
He said he is in training to qualify for the 10km open-water swimming event at the 2008 Olympic games.
Second-placed Nortje (35), from Cape Town, said he had tried to keep up with Venter, ”but he was simply too fast and in fantastic shape”.
”He is training about 100km a week in preparation for the Olympics and I simply can’t compete with that.”
A field of 82 swimmers took part, 62 individual competitors and four relay teams of five each.
The race was originally planned for Friday, Freedom Day, but a cold front brought heavy swells that made swimming dangerous. It was then postponed to Saturday.
In keeping with open-water swimming rules, the swimmers were not allowed to wear wetsuits or make physical contact with any person or boat during the race.
The swim began as an annual fund-raising event about six years ago by Vista Nova School — the largest school for children with learning disabilities and cerebral palsy in the Western Cape. This year, Cape-based Cadiz Financial Strategy Group sponsored the event, which it plans to elevate into one of the world’s top extreme swims.
All funds raised from entrance fees and sponsorship go towards equipment and resources at Vista Nova School. — Sapa