• swimming-sw

Teenagers dominate third Open Water Splash

• 2 Weeks Ago 24 December 2025

Teenage swimmers dominated the major categories at the third annual Minaqua Team Flippy Open Water Splash, held at Mole Beach in Swakopmund on Tuesday, as the event recorded its highest number of participants to date. The individual two-kilometre race was won outright by 16-year-old Madison Bergh, who finished ahead of the entire field, men and women. The double-team tag event was claimed by teenage cousins James Langford and Oelof Badenhorst, while the four-person team race was won by 'Race the Tide' team, made up of another youthful line-up of Aiden Diehl, Marcel Diehl, Dylan Cowley and Harry Kibble. Co-organiser Philip Seidler said the strong showing by young swimmers was one of the defining features of this year’s event. “This year we had the most competitive swimmers at our Open Water Splash,” Seidler said. “We had top swimmers who are currently competing at national and international level, as well as our upcoming generation of future elite swimmers. To see someone like Madison win the overall race shows the depth of young talent coming through.” The swimming course featured a triangular route of roughly 450 metres per lap. Individual swimmers completed four laps for a total of about two kilometres, while team events used a tag format, with distances split between team members. A children’s swim, supported by parents and lifesavers, concluded the programme. Bergh said her win was not expected. “My intention was just to get through the swim. I fell a bit behind at the start, but the conditions were calm and the course was really nice. I really enjoyed the swim,” she said. She added that she was already looking ahead to her next race, the Pupkewitz Jetty Mile, this Saturday. Plan comes together Langford and Badenhorst said their victory in the double-team event followed a simple plan. “When he came out and tagged me, I had to sprint,” Badenhorst said. “I held back during the first lap and then pushed hard at the end.” Langford said the goal was to set up his partner. “I just made sure I had a good start and gave him a good position to finish.” The event attracted over 80 participants, the largest field in its three-year history. Seidler credited the growth to increased sponsorship, live streaming and broader family participation. “We are very blessed this year,” he said. “Minaqua came on board as our main sponsor, we had more entries than ever before, and for the first time we had live streaming, which gives the event a more international standard.” Minaqua representative Jacques Swart said the company’s involvement aligned naturally with sport. “Hydration and sport go hand in hand,” Swart said. “It’s great to see how many people showed up, as well as the spirit of the swimmers. It was an event worth sponsoring.” Seidler said the Open Water Splash is a foundational event of his Team Flippy organisation and he hinted at further expansion. “This was our first event as a brand, and it’s still our core event,” he said. “We’re already planning for next year and looking at ways to make it bigger, better and more fun.”