Jodie May, a 17-year-old open water swimmer from Dubai, is basking in pride and elation after clinching two gold medals at the prestigious 2023 Oceanman World Final Championship held in Pukhet, Thailand.
A student at Dubai College, Jodie outshone a formidable field led by Eva Giuliani, completing the challenging 5km swim in an impressive time of 1 hour, 13 minutes, and 41 seconds.
The Oceanman World Final Championship, a premier international open water swimming competition, saw participation from over 1,000 athletes representing 72 countries. The qualifying rounds took place across various locations, including Mexico, Cyprus, Malaysia, Spain, Bali, Kazakhstan, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Egypt, and Dubai.
Expressing her joy, Jodie, born and raised in Dubai, shared, “I was so proud to represent the UAE and to receive both my gold medals to the playing of the UAE National Anthem on UAE National Day, the day of the swim, as I stood on the medal podium.” She is now back in Dubai after her triumphant performance.
This victory marks only Jodie’s second open water swim, following her success in the 5k Dubai leg just three weeks ago at Sunset Beach, where she secured victories in both the Ladies and Junior Divisions. In the Thailand race, Jodie surpassed her Dubai time by over two minutes.
Reflecting on the challenging competition in Thailand, Jodie said, “It was a tough race in Thailand, but I really enjoyed it, competing against so many other swimmers from around the world. I swim in Dubai with Hamilton Aquatics, and I would like to especially thank my coach Alex for encouraging me along with all my Swim Squad friends to compete.”
Jodie, a Year 13 student, has been dedicated to swimming since the age of seven. Currently training in the pool eight times a week, in addition to two gym sessions, she remains focused on her A Levels and school work for exams in May and June. Despite her academic commitments, Jodie plans to continue her swim training, participating in a pool meet in Abu Dhabi this weekend and looking forward to her next open water swim in the New Year.
The Oceanman project, designed by swimmers for swimmers, is a global open water swimming series that began in 2015. In 2023, the event hosted over 20 competitions worldwide, including one in Dubai.
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