.:: International Marathon Swimming Hal of Fame ::.

Abílio Couto foi imortalizado no Hall of Fame

Abilio Couto was imortalized into the Hall of Fame

Texto em Português e Inglês || Text in Portuguese and English ( Below)

Para ver as fotos clique aqui ( To see te pictures click here)

Português:

Aconteceu na Flórida, nos dias 10,11 e 12 de Maio a maior premiação de honra da natação mundial, a Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, aonde o hall da fama da natação mundial apresenta os seus novos eleitos, e para este ano, entre os novos membros, foi apresentado o brasileiro Abilio Couto, pela parte de Maratona Aquática do Hall ( International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame).

A cerimônia aconteceu no prédio do Swimming Hall of Fame e é realizada durante um jantar de gala, aonde cada um dos novos membros são apresentados, com direito a vídeos e discursos. Abílio Couto foi imortalizado no dia 10 de Maio,e os outros dias o Swimming Hall of Fame imortalizaou outras personalidades aquáticas.

Nesta cerimônia a família de Abílio Couto doou ao Museu do Hall of Fame o troféu do Recorde Mundial da Travessia do Canal da Mancha e o certificado do recorde mundial,conquistado por Abílio em 1959. Sobre esta ação, muito aplaudida na cerimônia, o International Swimming Hall of Fame reportou a Daniel Couto, via correio a seguinte nota:

Dear Daniel

We at the International Swimming Hall of Fame are most pleased that we had an opportunity to meet you at our recent ceremonies honoring your grandfather, the great Brazillian marathon swimmer Abilio Couto. We all marveled at his numerous accomplishments.

We also wish to thank you for the memorabilia presented to the International Swimming Hall of Fame on behalf of your family:

1. Abilio Couto´s Channel Swimming Association certificate confirming his world record swim across the English Channel in 1959.

2. The silver cup presented to him by the Channel Swimming Association for his world record breaking swim.

3. Some of the finest photographs we have seen of a marathon swimmer swimming the English Channel and Straits of Gibraltar.

These items will be placed on permanent display in our exhibit area. We appreciate the statement you made when we suggested that somw of the items may be wanted to kept by your family. You adviced us that your family felt that it would be more meanningful if the entire world couls see and appreciate these items rather than just your family. This generous and unselfish act is greatly appreciated.

Again we were most happy that we were able to meet you and we wish you and your family the best in the future. Your grandfather would be very proud, i´m sure.

With warm personal regards, Bob Duenkel - Executive Director - International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Foi tambêm distribuído na cerimônia um livreto em inglês contando a história do nadador. Livreto no qual muitas pessoas se espantaram ao ver em detalhes os feitos de Abílio.Algumas cópias deste livreto estarão fazendo parte da Biblioteca oficial do Hall da Fama, a Henning Library Archive.

Para o realizamento da viagem a CBDA ( Confederação Brasileira de Desportos Aquáticos) , a Prefeitura Municipal de Ribeirão Preto e o empresário e amigo de Abílio, Luiz Roberto Jábali, ajudaram Daniel Couto, neto do nadador e representante do mesmo a ir para a cerimônia. A CBDA tambêm estava lá representada por intermédio na nadadora Maria Lenk, a qual foi muito aplaudida na cerimônia. Outros grandes nomes da aquática mundial estavam lá presentes como Gary Hall Jr. (EUA, natação), Summer Sanders ( EUA, natação), Terry Schroeder ( EUA, Polo Aquático), Tom Gompf ( USA, Conselho Técnico da FINA), Jill Sterkel ( USA, natação),entre outros.

English:

Happened at Flórida, in May 10,11 and 12, the biggest award ceremony of the International Swimming, the Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.The ceremony where the Hall of fame announce your news honorees.To this year, the brazillian Abilio Couto was inducted to the Hall, on the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.

The ceremony taked place at the "Head Quarter" of the Swimming Hall of Fame, and it happened during a gala dinner, where each new member are apresented, with videos and speeches.Abilio Couto was imortalized in May 10, and the other days the Swimming Hall of Fame imortalized others aquatic personalities.

In this occasion, the family of Couto donated the Thropy of the World Record of the English Channel crossing and the certificate of this record too, beated by Couto in 1959. About this action, very applaused in the ceremony, the ISHOF reported by letter to Daniel Couto the following:

Dear Daniel

We also wish to thank you for the memorabilia presented to the International Swimming Hall of Fame on behalf of your family:

1. Abilio Couto´s Channel Swimming Association certificate confirming his world record swim across the English Channel in 1959.

2. The silver cup presented to him by the Channel Swimming Association for his world record breaking swim.

3. Some of the finest photographs we have seen of a marathon swimmer swimming the English Channel and Straits of Gibraltar.

Again we were most happy that we were able to meet you and we wish you and your family the best in the future. Your grandfather would be very proud, i´m sure.

With warm personal regards, Bob Duenkel - Executive Director - International Swimming Hall of Fame.

And in the ceremony was delivered too a book about Couto, telling the whole history of his carreer. Some copies of this book will make part of the official library of the Hall of Fame, called Henning Library and Archive.

To the realization of this trip, the CBDA ( Brazillian Confederation of Acquatics Sports), the Municipal Govern of Ribeirao Preto and the bussinesman Luiz Roberto Jabali, helped to pay the expenses of Daniel Couto. Daniel represented your grandfather in that ceremony . The CBDA was well represented too, by the person of Maria Lenk, who was very applauded in the ceremony.

Abilio Couto no livro da cerimônia

Abilio Couto in the ceremony´s book

Texto em Português e Inglês || Text in Portuguese and in English

No livro oficial da cerimônia constou o seguinte sobre Abílio Couto:

In the ceremony´s official book appeared the following about Couto:

* Abilio Couto ( Brazil)

In 1959 Abilio Couto swam from France to England and with only 14 days rest swam back from England to France. He was the first brazillian and South American to swim the English Channel. A report from a FINA publication indicates, " The brazillian Abilio Couto, of Sao Paulo, made the crossing in the two ways, and its time, 12hrs 49min of England to France, it was a world record in 1959."

Couto was an eight time winner of the International Long Distance Swimming Federation ( ILDSF) Marathon Swims ( 1959, ´61, ´63, ´65, ´67,´69, ´71 and ´75) and four time overall champion in ( 1959, ´61, ´63, ´67). He was instrumental of the estabilishment of the first Brazil Open Water Championship and many other events including the Ilhabella-Caraguatatuba 25 km event.He swam the English Channel a total of three times. Although not sanctioned by the Catalina Swimming Federation, he completed the Catalina Channel Mainland to Island swim in 1968. A partial list of his swims include the Straits of Gibraltar, 1965 ; Lake Michigan, 1965 ; Suez Canal, 1974 ; Nile River, 1975 ; Mar del Plata, 1960 and Lake Ontario, 1960.

Unfortunately, because he swam as an amateur many of his efforts were not listed in the official results. It is estimated that Couto swam more than 40.000 kilometers during his career. He is know as the Father of Open Water Swimming in Brazil.

His grandson, Daniel Couto, has estabilished a web page in his honor: http://www.abiliocouto.cjb.net

*Deceased

International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame

Texto em Português e Inglês || Text in Portuguese and in English

Português:

O IMSHOF é ligado ao International Swimming Hall of Fame, um museu que elege os maiores nomes da natação mundial de todos os tempos para serem seus membros, sua sede é em Fort Lauderdale - Florida, e o Hall of Fame é uma instituição reconhecida pela FINA.

Dale Petranech, diretor do IMSHF, reportou numa sexta-feira ( 18/02/2002) que Abilio Couto havia recebido os votos necessários antes da votação do comitê internacional ter sido encerrada. "Nos temos votos suficientes para para terminar a votação, de fato, foi uma eleição unânime, sem que nenhuma questão necesitasse ser esclarecida", conta Petranech sobre a votação que Abilio Couto recebeu. O Comitê é formado por : Dennis Matuch (EUA) Chairman, Dale Petranech (EUA) Honorary Secretary, Lynn Blouin (CAN), Buck Dawson (EUA), Bob Duenkel (EUA), Kevin Murphy (ING), Pierre Otis (CAN), Claudio Plit (ARG), Michael Reed (ING), Shelley Taylor Smith (AUS) e Conrad Wennerberg (EUA).

English:

The International Marathon Swimming Hall of fame is a body of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, a museum wich elect the greatest names of swimming of all the times to be your honoree members. It´s located at Fort Lauderdale ( FL) and the ISHOF is recognized by FINA.

Dale Petranech, director of IMSHOF, reported to me in a Friday ( 02-18-2002) that Abilio Couto receipt the necessary votes before the selection comitee end the ballot." We have more than sufficient votes to insure election, in fact it is unanimous, not even a question of clarification" said Dale Petranech about the votes wich Couto had receipt. Committee members include: Dennis Matuch (USA) Chairman, Dale Petranech (USA) Honorary Secretary, Lynn Blouin (CAN), Buck Dawson (USA), Bob Duenkel (USA), Kevin Murphy (GBR), Pierre Otis (CAN), Claudio Plit (ARG), Michael Reed (GBR), Shelley Taylor Smith (AUS) and Conrad Wennerberg (USA).