Cayman proves it’s perfect for open water racing

(CMR)  The Cayman Islands has again proven it is a perfect location for open water racing, hosting the first leg of the PanAm Aquatics Open Water Series on Grand Cayman’s world-famous Seven Mile Beach from 3-5 March.

The series then moved to Jamaica from 9-11 March and ended in Puerto Rico 16-19 March. The series, which marks a renewed commitment to open water by PanAm Aquatics, aligns well with the Cayman Islands Aquatics Sports Association’s (CIASA’s) active open water calendar and marks the beginning of what will be a significant partnership for a new sports tourism event in Cayman.

“We are already committed to the 2024 PanAm Aquatics Open Water Series. Seven Mile Beach is perhaps one of the best open water venues in the world, and CIASA looks forward to working closely with PanAm Aquatics to make the Cayman leg of the new open water series one of the most sought-after open waters events on the calendar,” said CIASA President Steve Broadbelt.

The Cayman leg of the 2024 PanAm Aquatics Open Water Series is scheduled to take place in early January 2024 and plans are already underway to make this a great event.

Cayman open water race director Colleen Williams said, “the Cayman leg of the PanAm Aquatics Open Water series came together relatively quickly, and I am extremely grateful to the incredible volunteers who made it so successful. As this event grows, the number of volunteers needed will grow, so I really want to thank those who paved the way this year including the Hon. Minister of Sports Bernie Bush, CIOC’s Shakiena Bush, the Flowers Group of companies, our Technical Director and all the CIASA Directors; coaches and members of our swim clubs who volunteered, Olympian and World Record holder Alia Atkinson; Maureen Croes – PanAm Aquatics, Denny Ryther and Rick Walker, Bert Schreuders, Red Sail Sports and a number of our loyal on-island volunteers and lifeguards.”

Other international open water events include the upcoming CARIFTA Swimming Championships, where Cayman will be represented by nine swimmers: Teagan Nash, Maria Westin, Ava Butler, Riley Watson, Felicity Westin, Dominic Hilton, Will Sellars, Connor Macdonald, Joshua Rose, and Jack Terrell; and the Canadian Open Water 10K and 5K qualifiers on 15-16 April which will be hosted here in the Cayman Islands.