Bish, King claim 2023 Ocean Swimmer of Year titles

John Bish earned his second-consecutive Ocean Swimmer of the Year title, while 16-year-old Alina King broke through as the female champion in the 2023 Semana Nautica Ocean Swimmer of the Year Point Series.

The point series competition was established in 2013 to honor the top swimmers competing across multiple swimming races during the annual Semana Nautica Summer Sports Festival.

Bish cemented his second OSOY award by winning both the Mullen & Henzell 2-Mile Swim and the Semana Nautica 6-Mile Swim.

King earned the overall OSOY title with steady, strong results. Despite not winning any event outright, King recorded multiple top-4 finishes in all her swims, including second place in the Mullen & Henzell 3-Mile Swim and the Reef & Run 1-Mile Swim on June 29th.

Just qualifying for inclusion in the points standings is a worthy feat. Athletes must compete in at least three ocean-swimming races over an 11-day period, including the Mullen & Henzell 2-Mile Swim and either the Mullen & Henzell 3-Mile Swim or the Semana Nautica 6-Mile Swim. Wetsuits are not allowed.

For the men, John McCarthy, Paul Castleberg, Dan Picking and Bret Dougherty made the cut.

Caitlin Swalec, Alethea Butler-Nalin, Elizabeth Boscacci, and Emily Case joined King as the only women to qualify.

The Ocean Swimmers of the Year will be recognized and awarded trophies on Thursday, August 10 at Reef & Run’s post-race party. There will be live music on the beach from Tao Jonz and dinner available from Buena Onda Empanadas. All are welcome to attend the awards ceremony taking place around 7:30 p.m.