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Venter wins Robben Island swim
28/04/2007 15:54 - (SA)
Cape Town - Top South African long distance swimmer and Olympic Games hopeful Tyron Venter, 21, has beaten his closest rival by 14 minutes to win the 7.5km swim from Robben Island to Big Bay, Bloubergstrand.
Braving a water temperature of 14 degrees, 3m ocean swells and scores of jellyfish, Venter made the crossing in a time of 1 hour 34 minutes. He missed the race record by 11 minutes, but beat his nearest competitor, Barend Nortje, by 14 minutes.
Natalie du Toit finished fourth. She was the first woman home in 1:57, beating Carina Bruwer by less than a minute.
Venter took home R10 000 in prize money - one of the biggest purses in competitive swimming in South Africa.
A field of 82 swimmers took part, 62 individual competitors and four relay teams of five each.
The race was originally scheduled to take place on Friday, Freedom Day, but a cold front brought heavy swells, which made swimming dangerous.
- SAPA
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