Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim Is 2016 World Open Water Swimming Offering Of The Year 

Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim Is 2016 World Open Water Swimming Offering Of The Year 

The WOWSA Awards are an annual selection of outstanding individuals and offerings in the following categories: World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year, World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year, World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year, and World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.

The WOWSA Awards are selected via an online World Open Water Swimming Association poll. 

With all kinds of new products, events and services on the global market for 2016, the possible award winners and nominees were numerous. 

The criteria to select was based on the offering that best supports and assists open water swimmers achieve their goals, are innovative, unique and beneficial to open water swimmers, race directors, coaches or administrators, and made the most positive impact on the world of open water swimming during the calendar year. 

Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim was selected as the 2016 World Open Water Offering of the Year. 

Its nomination read, 

"Swimming between continents is something that few people in the world rarely have an opportunity to do. But the Samsung Bosphorus Cross Continental Swim is excellently organized to offer this dramatic possibility to thousands of people every year. 

The National Olympic Committee of Turkey has grown the 6.5 km point-to-point traverse of the Istanbul Strait from 68 swimmers in 1989 to nearly 5,000 applicants from 52 countries from all walks of life. Boat traffic in the strait is stopped once per year on this day when people challenge themselves against shifting currents and tidal flows with logistics and a wide safety net at their protection. For providing the self-satisfaction and challenge of a cross-continental swim from the Asian continent to the European continents to 2,200 swimmers, for organizing an aquatic challenge across a dynamic body of water in an iconic location, and for the joyful multi-cultural, multi-lingual ambiance of swimmers from around the world, the Samsung Boğaziçi Kıtalararası Yüzme Yarışı is a worthy nominee for the 2016 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year."

The event's fellow nominees were as follows:

1. Prison Island Swims (International)
2. KIM SWIMS (USA) 
3. Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim (Turkey)
4. Ocean City Swim Club Unified Team / Legion of Ocean Heroes Surf Lifesaving Festival (USA)
5. KAATSU Aqua (Japan)
6. Hawaiʻi Tiger Shark Tracking (USA)
7. OceanFit (Australia) 
8. The Power of Swimming or Simma med Stjärnorna (Sweden)
9. Wildswim.com (United Kingdom)
10. Instabeat (International)
11. Terroir Project Collection (Denmark) 
12. Agar Plasticity (Japan) 
13. Swimming in the Sink: An Episode of the Heart by Lynne Cox (USA) 
14. Global Alert Platform by the Ocean Recovery Alliance (Hong Kong)
15. Blue Mind Summits by Dr. Wallace J. Nichols (International)

"Samsung Boğaziçi Kıtalararası Yüzme Yarışı and all the other nominees, as well as the innumerable other products, services and events of the open water swimming community deserve all kinds of accolades for its organization, ceremony, safety and competition. The National Olympic Committee of Turkey (Türkiye Milli Olimpiyat Komitesi) and its staff and volunteers organize and plan, budget and execute one of the finest and most iconic events in the world. The future is very bright for this event and its leadership in the sport of open water swimming is well-established and globally recognized," says Steven Munatones.