Sam Rockett

Sam Rockett was a British open water swimmer who crossed the English Channel on his first attempt in 1950 in 14 hours 17 minutes in the first Daily Mail race and was the trainer of Greta Andersen, one of the greatest marathon swimmers of all time, in the 1957 Billy Butlin Cross Channel International Swim.
Publication
He wrote the book It's Cold in the Channel.
1950 English Channel Race
The first Daily Mail race across the English Channel was held in 1950 and was limited to 20 participants from around the world, sponsored by the London Daily Mail. Hassan Abdel Rehim, a 41-year-old Egyptian won the first race in a then-record of 10 hours 50 minutes over an international field. The results were as follows:
1. Hassan Abdel Rehim (Egypt) - 10:50
2. Roger Le Morvan (France) 11:02
3. Mareeh Hassan Hamad (Egypt) 12:10
4. Sam Rockett (Great Britain) 14:17
5. William Barnie (Scotland) 14:50
6. Eileen Fenton (Great Britain) 15:31 - First woman
7. Jason Zirganos (Greece) 16:19
8. Antonio Abertondo (Argentina) 15:25
9. Jenny Kammersgaard (Denmark) 16:30
DNF: Emile Soron (France), Eduard Mussche (Belgium), David Frank (USA), Willy van Rijsel (Holland), G.B. Brewster (Great Britain), Panagiotis Kamberous (Greece), Elna Andersen (Denmark), Margareth Ann Feather, Fahmmy Attallah (Egypt).
Video of 1950 Daily Mail Race
External links
- Willis Hanks Swam From Harlem To The English Channel
- The Channel Is The Place To Suffer
- Open Water Swimming Books And Movies
- Curriculum Offerings Of The Open Water
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Open Water Swimming
- Olympic 10K Marathon Swim round-up
- Marathon Swimming
- Olympic 10K Marathon Swim
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- I Got Stung
- World Marathon Swimming Association
- The 1950 Daily Mail Race Across The English Channel