Yesterday I swam the 2 mile pier to pier at Newport Beach. This was not my first open water swim. I have done many of them. However, yesterday was the first time I encountered such a disturbing experience.
There were 240 people in the race. Of course there was the usual bumping, clobbering, smacking, kicking, and pulling that goes on when ever this many swimmers are converging on one point. Anyone who has ever done an open water swim is used to this. But yesterday a male swimmer actually grabbed me from behind the neck, pushed me down under the water, and then kicked me in the head in order to swim over me. When I say he grabbed me by the neck -- I mean GRABBED HARD. This was not an accident, but a purposeful manuever to get ahead. When I came up for air I was pounded by the swimmer behind me (also a male) who actually apologized.
I finished the swim and I will do more of them. I am still stunned though and my neck hurts today. I am not so naive as to think this kind of stuff never happens, I guess I'm just blown away because it actually happened to me and I was not in any way in competition with this guy.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Kerri
Parents
Former Member
It has only happened once to me and the other guy did not finish the race. I have seen some pretty rough stuff when I raced but every one stayed clear of me.
The worst thing that happened to me was at the finish of a swim there was a log boom that every one was to swim around and a swimmer behind me cut off about 400 yards by going over the boom and won an extra $2000 by beating me out to the finish. I met the other swimmer later and was paid the money after I showed a little anger.
Now don't get me wrong I was always known as Mr Nice guy but I did get a little rilled once in a while. This is written about in the Conrad Wennerberg book, "Wind Waves and Sunburn", a breif history of Marathon Swimming.
It has only happened once to me and the other guy did not finish the race. I have seen some pretty rough stuff when I raced but every one stayed clear of me.
The worst thing that happened to me was at the finish of a swim there was a log boom that every one was to swim around and a swimmer behind me cut off about 400 yards by going over the boom and won an extra $2000 by beating me out to the finish. I met the other swimmer later and was paid the money after I showed a little anger.
Now don't get me wrong I was always known as Mr Nice guy but I did get a little rilled once in a while. This is written about in the Conrad Wennerberg book, "Wind Waves and Sunburn", a breif history of Marathon Swimming.
