Chris Guesdon to Receive the 2018 Poseidon Award

FORT LAUDERDALE – The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) will recognize Chris

Guesdon for his high-level achievement in marathon swimming with the 2018 Poseidon Award.  The Award will be presented to Chris, on Saturday evening, during the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, on March 31st at “The Chapel”, part of the Beaumont Estate in Old Windsor, England (close to Heathrow Airport).  The Poseidon Award is presented annually by International Swimming Hall of Fame to the organization or individual for high level achievement from personal effort or initiative in a field of endeavor that contributes to the performance of marathon swimmers or to the development and status of Marathon Swimming to the world.
This year’s award honors Chris Guesdon who dedicated 56 years to the sport from marathon swimmer to multi-dimensional roles.  His passion is for the further development and recognition of marathon swimming on a global scale, the role which he undertook worldwide.  Chris masterminded the design for the Olympic 10k marathon swim. Fellow Olympic model strategists, Sid Cassidy and Dennis Miller concurred that Chris’s blueprint of a competition distance was vital to fit the Olympic schedule with the model able to use the Olympic rowing course or similar body of water in landlocked countries.  Their strategy succeeded after a 104-year absence when marathon swimming re-joined the Olympic Games in 2008.
He managed/led national teams and Australian marathon swimmers since 1970 in dozens of renowned swims from 24 Heures La Tuque to the Derwent River Tasmania, especially in boats and hands-on. He guided Australia to world dominance from 1988 to 1998 as the Australian Open Water Swimming Team’s Strategist/Manager and as National Open Water Swimming Committee Secretary. Chris founded the Australian Long-Distance Swimming Federation in 1973, was a Member of the World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation, Bureau Member International Long-Distance Swimming Federation 1975-77 and Committee Member FINA’s Open Water Swimming Technical Committee 1996 -2000.

He was honored by the International Swimming Hall of Fame with the Irving Davids/Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award in 2010 and as an Honor Contributor in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF) in 2009 where he also chaired the Executive Committee providing the vision and strategy after a significant organizational change.  For his singular contributions to the global promotion and development of marathon swimming on the international stage, Chris has been awarded the 2018 Poseidon Award.
For additional information, please call Ned Denison in Ireland at (+353) 87-987-1573 or ISHOF at (954) 462-6536, or visit http://www.ishof.org

About the ISHOF
The International Swimming Hall of Fame & Museum was established in 1965 as a not-for-profit educational organization in the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and was recognized by FINA, the international governing body for the Olympic aquatic sports, in 1968. The Mission of ISHOF is to PRESERVE and CELEBRATE aquatic history, to EDUCATE the general public about the importance of swimming as the key to water safety, drowning prevention, better health and a better quality of life, and to INSPIRE everyone to swim. ISHOF’s collection of swimming memorabilia, art, photos and films, along with archival documents and rare books in the Henning Library, make ISHOF the premier repository and academic research resource for swimming and aquatic history in the world. www.ishof.org

Stéphane Lecat to Receive the 2018 Irving Davids/Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award

FORT LAUDERDALE – The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) will recognize

Stéphane Lecat, for his extensive contributions to the administration of open water swimming with the 2018 Irving Davids/Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award.  The Award will be presented to Stéphane, on Saturday evening, during the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, on March 31st at “The Chapel”, part of the Beaumont Estate in Old Windsor, England (close to Heathrow Airport).  The Irving Davids/Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award is presented annually by International Swimming Hall of Fame to the organization or individual who has contributed the most to the administration of open water swimming.
This year’s award honors Stéphane Lecat, a champion open water swimmer who has dedicated his career to teaching and coaching and is now the National Team Open Water Program Director for the French Swimming Federation.  He is responsible for the administrative work, development and organisation for more than 35 races every year in France and the preparation strategy for the French National Team’s main international events every year.
As a swimmer, Stéphane won 3 FINA World Cup Series, 3 Traversée Internationale du lac St-Jean, 4 Rio Corondo, 3 Traversée Internationale du Lac Memphrémagog swim, 25k European Championship, 10 times French Champion and 2 Around-the-Island Marathon Swim in Atlantic City. He won 17 World Cup events and completed a very fast English Channel in 8 hours 19 minutes.  This led to his induction into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
Stéphane’s work with the French National Team is producing exceptional results.  In 2016 they won medals at all levels of international competition: young, juniors, and seniors. The medal count was:  Olympic Games in Rio 1 bronze medal 10Km men; European Seniors Championships Open Water 2 gold medals and 2 bronze medals; World Juniors Championships Open Water 1 gold medal, 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal; European Juniors Championships 2 gold medals and COMEN 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals, 1 bronze medal plus top team.
In the 2017 season, they were the top teams at both the World Championships with 4 gold medals, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal and the European Championships Juniors with 4 gold medals and 1 bronze medal.

For additional information, please call Ned Denison in Ireland at (+353) 87-987-1573 or ISHOF at (954) 462-6536, or visit http://www.ishof.org

About the ISHOF
The International Swimming Hall of Fame & Museum was established in 1965 as a not-for-profit educational organization in the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and was recognized by FINA, the international governing body for the Olympic aquatic sports, in 1968. The Mission of ISHOF is to PRESERVE and CELEBRATE aquatic history, to EDUCATE the general public about the importance of swimming as the key to water safety, drowning prevention, better health and a better quality of life, and to INSPIRE everyone to swim. ISHOF’s collection of swimming memorabilia, art, photos and films, along with archival documents and rare books in the Henning Library, make ISHOF the premier repository and academic research resource for swimming and aquatic history in the world. www.ishof.org