Adolf Kaure
Open water sensation, Phillip Seidler claimed a record-breaking twelfth Pupkewitz Jetty Mile victory recently at Swakopmund.
The two-time Namibian Olympian claimed the win in a time of 19 minutes and 40 seconds, powering to the finish line ahead of second-placed Nico Esslinger (21:10), followed by third-place finisher Nathan Chase (22:44).
Seidler came short of breaking his own record of 18:33 set in 2019. He attributed this to the unfavourable weather conditions.
“We had a very shallow low tide. It was probably my best swim without having the current to help me. I might break the record next time, it was very bad conditions,” he said.
The 27-year-old also stated that he will shift his attention to training for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and mentoring upcoming open-water swimmers.
“I am just training hard for the Olympics, doing everything from business to sports. I have opened a sports event company. Through this company (Team Flippy Sports and Events), we want to be the biggest sports brand in Namibia,” he said.
In the women’s race, 16-year-old Madison Bergh claimed the win, clocking 24 minutes and 8 seconds.
She finished ahead of Carissa Steyn (24:12) and Maja Brinkmann (24:39), who finished second and third, respectively.
Record number of participants
The event attracted 179 swimmers – a new record. The event’s organiser, Yvonne Brinkmann, noted that the event was a success.
“There were close to 180 participants in the full Jetty Mile category. It is the biggest field that we have ever had,” she said.
The Pupkewitz Foundation has sponsored the event since its inception for the last 19 years. Brinkmann expressed her gratitude towards Pupkewitz for continued support.
“We have upped the prize money this year to N$70 000,” said Brinkmann.
The Pupkewitz Jetty Mile categories have remained the same over the years. Apart from the full race (U/16 to over 60 years), the other categories of the race include the 600m sprint and 200m for kiddies (for ages 12 and under to 30 years).
“We kept the formula similar to other years and we tried to encourage participants from a young age,” she said.
