The Majors - Winners
Only IMSHOF Honorees are listed
The number of majors is presented as reference only. It is not possible or suggested to try and equate the number of majors to career success. Different swimmers, in different eras, with differing number of possible majors and different funding would have competed in more or fewer of these events. Additionally, solo swimmers tended not to compete in these events. IMSHOF has only one category for swimmers - Honorees and doesn't attempt to rank them further. IMSHOF does not attempt to form a top 10 list or name "greatest of all time" as done by other sports.
As of end 2024, there were 246 Major events (generally allowing a male and female Major winner). The number of Major winners were increased by Amateurs (example 24 in Capri>Naples) then reduced where no females completed (example some CNE years) or completed.
IMSHOF Honorees represented 347 (ties counted as 0.5)
of the 502 Major winners - 69% (2/3rds +) were IMSHOF Honorees.​
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This shows just the Honorees with 5 or more Majors won. It is not possible to compare swimmers across eras for many reasons: the number of majors varied from 0 to 5 depending on the year, some early Majors (example Catalina) had a massive field and just one finisher, Other early Majors has less than 10 swimmers, current Majors like the Olympics truly have the best swimmers from around the world. A few specific examples:
Greta Andersen won 3 Majors each in 1958 and 1959 (out of a possible 4/year)
Cliff Lumsdon, CM in 1952 and 1953 won the only possible Major those years
Ana Marcela Cunha competes in an era with more than 3+ Majors (average)/year – but
won against big fields with the best swimmers from around the world.
Majors listed for each Honoree
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Abdellatief Abou Heif (8 Majors): 1963 and 1964 Canadian National Exhibition; 1955 English Channel Race; 1963 and 1964 (tied) Capri to Naples; and 1964, 1965 and 1968 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
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Aleksey Akatyev (1 Major): 1998 25 km FINA World Championship
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David Alleva, PhD (2 Majors): 1990 Capri to Naples and 1989 Around Atlantic City
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Greta Andersen (14 Majors): 1961 Canadian National Exhibition;1958 and 1962 Lac St, Jean; 1957, 1958 and 1959 English Channel Race; 1956, 1967, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962 and 1963 Around Atlantic City; and 1959 Capri to Naples [beat all men in the 1958 Lac St. Jean and 1957 and 1958 English Channel Race]
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Paul Asmuth (18 Majors): 1982, 1987 and 1988 Capri to Naples; 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1990 Around Atlantic City; and 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
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Leonie Beck (3 Majors): 2023 World Aquatics 10 km World Championship; 2020 FINA Marathon Swim World Series Cup; and 2023 World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup
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Marilyn Bell (1 Major): 1954 Around Atlantic City
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Tina Bischoff (1 Major): 1980 Capri to Naples
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Damián Blaum (1 Major): 2013 FINA Grand Prix Series
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Arianna Bridi (1 Major): 2017 FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup
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Rachele Bruni (3 Majors): 2015 and 2016 FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup; and 2019 FINA Marathon Swim World Series Cup
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Peggy Büchse (5 Majors): 1997 and 1999 Around Atlantic City; 1998 and 1999 FINA Marathon Swimming World Series; and 2001 10 km FINA World Championship
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Karen Burton Reeder (4 Majors): 1995 Around Atlantic City; 1995/1996 and 1996/1997 Marathon Swimming World Series Championship and 1992 FINA Long Distance Swimming World Cup
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Alfredo Camarero (4 Majors): 1959 English Channel Race; 1955 and 1956 Capri to Naples and 1957 Around Atlantic City
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Allan do Carmo (1 Major): 2014 FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup Series
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Marian Cassidy (2 Majors): 1992 Capri to Naples and 1990 Around Atlantic City
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Anne Chagnaud (2 Majors): 1994 Around Atlantic City; and 1997 FINA Marathon Swimming World Series
Christine Cossette (4 Majors): 1980 and 1981 Around Atlantic City; and 1980 and 1981 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Ana Marcela Cunha (13 Majors): 2010, 2012 and 2014 FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup; 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022 25 km FINA World Championship; 2018, 2021 (tied) and 2022 FINA Marathon Swim World Series Cup
; 2021 Olympics; and 2024 World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup
Melissa Cunningham Roberts (2 Majors): 1996 FINA Long Distance Swimming World Cup; and 1994 25 km FINA World Championship
Silvia Beatríz Dalotto (1 Major): 1990 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Brojen Das (1 Major): 1958 English Channel Race
Penny Lee Dean, EdD (2 Majors): 1979 Around Atlantic City and 1979 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Diego Degano (8 Majors): 1989 and 1992 Capri to Naples; 1992 and 1994 Around Atlantic City; 1989 and 1990 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation; 1991 International Marathon Swimming Federation World Ranking and 1992/1993 Marathon Swimming World Series Championship
Edith van Dijk (9 Majors): 2000, 2001 and 2005 FINA Marathon Swimming World Series; 2000 10 km and 2000 and 2002 25 km FINA World Open Water Swimming Championship; and 2005 10 km and 2003 and 2005 25 km FINA World Championship
Captain Nabil Elshazly (5 Majors): 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964 Amateur Capri to Naples [1st overall in 1962 beating all professionals] and 1964 Lac St. Jean.
Nasser Elshazly (3 Majors): 1976 and 1977 Amateur and 1983 Capri to Naples [1st overall in 1977 beating all professionals]
Brenda Fisher, BEM (2 Majors): 1951 and 1954 English Channel Race
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Pilar Geijo (5 Majors): 2010, 2011, 2014 (tied) and 2015 FINA Grand Prix Series; and 2019 FINA UltraMarathon Swim Series
Spiros Gianniotis (3 Majors): 2012 FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup and 2011 and 2013 10 km FINA World Championship
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Stéphane Gomez (1 Major): 2004 Around Atlantic City
Elaine Gray (1 Major): 1966 BLDSA Windermere International Championship
Martina Grimaldi (2 Majors): 2010 10 km FINA World Open Water Swimming Championship and 2013 25 km FINA World Championship
Trent Grimsey (1 Major): 2012 FINA Grand Prix Series
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Suzanne Heim-Bowen (1 Major): 1988 FINA Long Distance Swimming World Cup (amateur)
Chad Hundeby (4 Majors): 1993 Around Atlantic City; 1994 FINA Long Distance Swimming World Cup; 1993/1994 FINA Marathon Swimming World Series and 1991 25 km FINA World Championship
Horacio Iglesias (5 Majors): 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1973 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Larisa Dmitriyevna Ilchenko: (4 Majors): 2006 and 2008 10 km FINA World Open Water Swimming Championship; 2007 10 km FINA World Championship and 2008 Olympics
Helge Jensen (2 Majors): 1958 and 1959 Lac St. Jean
Britta Kamrau (8 Majors): 2005 Capri to Naples; 2001 Around Atlantic City; 2003 and 2006 FINA Marathon Swimming World Series; 2002 and 2004 10 km and 2004 25 km FINA World Open Water Swimming Championship; and 2007 25 km FINA World Championship
James Kegley (1 Major): 1987 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Jerry Kerschner (1 Major): 1951 Canadian National Exhibition
John Kinsella (7 Majors): 1979 English Channel Race; 1978 Capri to Naples; and 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Yuri Kudinov (8 Majors): 2004 and 2006 Capri to Naples; 2003 Around Atlantic City; 2000 and 2002 25 km FINA World Open Water Swimming Championship; and 2001, 2003 and 2007 25 km FINA World Championship
Irene van der Laan (5 Majors): 1983 and 1987 Capri to Naples; 1989 Around Atlantic City; 1989 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation; and 1982 BLDSA Windermere International Championship
Régent Lacoursière (1 Major): 1960 Lac St. Jean
Annemie Landmeters (1 Major): 1988 Capri to Naples
Stéphane Lecat (5 Majors): 1996 and 2001 Around Atlantic City and 1997, 1999 and 2000 FINA Marathon Swimming World Series
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Jaime Lomelín Gavaldón (1 Major): 1988 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Cliff Lumsdon, CM (7 Majors): 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953 and 1955 Canadian National Exhibition; and 1956 and 1959 Around Atlantic City
Thomas Lurz (7 Majors): 2009, 2011 and 2013 FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup; 2004 10 km, 2006 10 km, 2009 10 km and 2013 25 km FINA World Championship. Additionally, Olympic medals 2008 Bronze and 2012 Silver plus other FINA World Championships at 5 km and Team.
Alawi Mohammed Makki Al-Ibrahim (1 Major): 1978 English Channel Race
Angela Maurer (11 Majors): 2003, 2004 and 2006 Capri to Naples; 2004 Around Atlantic City; 2002 and 2004 FINA Marathon Swimming World Series; 2007, 2008 and 2011 FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup; 2006 25 km FINA World Open Water Swimming Championship; and 2009 25 km FINA World Championship
Attila Molnár (2 Majors): 1995 Around Atlantic City; 1994/1995 Marathon Swimming World Series Championship
Magda Molnár (1 Major): 1958 Capri to Naples
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Aurélie Muller (2 Majors): 2015 and 2017 10 km FINA World Championship
Steven Muñatones (1 Major): 1982 BLDSA Windermere International Championship
Marvin "Duke" Nelson (3 Majors): 1930, 1933 and 1934 Canadian National Exhibition
Marc Newman (2 Majors): 1986 (Windermere) and 1988 FINA Long Distance Swimming World Cup
Cynthia Nicholas, CM (2 Majors): 1979 English Channel Race; and 1976 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Judith de Nijs (12 Majors): 1964 Canadian National Exhibition; 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1970 Capri to Naples; 1964 Lac St. Jean and 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1970 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Martha Norelius (1 Major): 1929 Canadian National Exhibition
Esther Nuñez Morera (2 Majors): 2007 and 2012 FINA Grand Prix Series
Diana Nyad (2 Majors): 1974 Capri to Naples and 1974 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
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David O’Brien, OAM won 1 Major: 1991 Capri to Naples
Poliana Okimoto (2 Majors): 2009 FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup and 2013 10km FINA World Championship
Tom Park (4 Majors): 1956 English Channel Race; and 1954, 1955 and 1968 Around Atlantic City
Baptista Pereira (1 Major): 1954 English Channel Race
Claudio Plit (5 Majors): 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1986 Capri to Naples and 1975 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
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Dr. Evgenij Pop Acev (3 Majors): 2015 and 2017 tied FINA Grand Prix Series and 2019 FINA UltraMarathon Swim Series
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Francis "Frank" Pritchard (1 Major): 1937 Canadian National Exhibition
Shadia El Rageb (4 Majors): 1971 and 1972 Capri to Naples and 1971 and 1972 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Dr. Michael P. Read, MBE (1 Major): 1970 BLDSA Windermere International Championship
Hassan Abdel Rehim (1 Major): 1950 English Channel Race
Éva Risztov: (1 Major): 2012 Olympics
Veljko Rogošić (4 Majors): 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974 Capri to Naples
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Sharon van Rouwendaal (4 Majors): 2016 Olympics; 2022 10km FINA World Championship; 2024 World Aquatics 10 km World Championship; and 2024 Olympics
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Simone Ruffini (3 Majors): 2015 25km World Championship and 2016 and 2017 FINA 10km World Cup
Johannes “Johan” Schans (1 Major): 1970 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Marty Sinn (4 Majors): 1962 and 1963 Canadian National Exhibition; 1964 Around Atlantic City; and 1963 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Tomi Stefanovski (1 Major): 2016 (tied) FINA Grand Prix Series
Petar Stoychev (14 Majors): 2003 and 2005 Capri to Naples; 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup; 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 FINA Grand Prix Series; and 2011 25 km FINA World Championship
Dr. Greg Streppel, PharmD (2 Majors): 1992 FINA Long Distance Swimming World Cup; and 1994 25 km FINA World Championship
Shelley Taylor-Smith (11 Majors): 1990 and 1991 Capri to Naples; 1991, 1992 and 1993 [twice beating all the men] Around Atlantic City; 1991 International Marathon Swimming Federation World Ranking; 1992/1993 Marathon Swimming World Series Championship; 1988 and 1994 FINA Long Distance Swimming World Cup; 1993/1994 FINA Marathon Swimming World Series; and 1991 25 km FINA World Championship [in 1991 highest number of International Marathon Swimming Federation World Ranking Points of all swimmers]
Patty Thompson (1 Major): 1969 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Giulio Travaglio (6 Majors): 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1970 Capri to Naples and 1966 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
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Viola Valli (2 Majors): 2003 10 km FINA World Open Water Swimming Championship and 2001 25 km FINA World Championship
Ernst Vierkoetter (1 Major): 1927 Canadian National Exhibition
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Christof Wandratsch (1 Major): 1997 Around Atlantic City
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Ferry Weertman (3 Majors): 2017 10 km FINA World Championship; 2016 Rio Olympics; and 2018 FINA World Series Cup
Maarten van der Weijden (2 Majors): 2008 25 km FINA World Open Water Swimming Championship; and 2008 Olympics
Monique Wildschut (10 Majors): 1986 and 1989 Capri to Naples; 1983 and 1987 Around Atlantic City; and 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Herman Willemse (11 Majors): 1961 and 1962 Canadian National Exhibition; 1961, 1962 and 1963 Lac St Jean; 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964 Around Atlantic City; and 1963 World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
Steve Wozniak (1 Major): 1948 Canadian National Exhibition
George Young (2 Majors): 1927 Wrigley Ocean Marathon Race and 1931 Canadian National Exhibition