arena is proud to announce its partnership with the OCEANMAN series for eight European events in 2022. Launched in 2015, OCEANMAN is one of open water's pre-eminent global series, with more than 30 events across 25 countries this year from February to December, with its World Final to be held in Rethymno, Crete from 28-30 October. OCEANMAN event locations are carefully selected not only for their suitability for open water swimming, but also for their appeal and the beauty of their surroundings. This year marks the eighth edition of the global circuit.
The eight European events for which arena will be a partner are:
Costa Azahar, Spain (14-15 May)
Cattolica, Italy (28 May)
Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain (11-12 June)
Lago D'Orta, Italy (17-19 June)
Oitylo Bay, Greece (25-26 June)
European Open Water Championships, Stari Grad, Croatia (16-17 September)
Benidorm, Spain (1-2 October)
OCEANMAN World Final, Rethymno, Crete (28-30 October)
“With our strong legacy in water sports", said arena Deputy CEO, Giuseppe Musciacchio, "OCEANMAN is a natural fit for us, and gives us great exposure and access to both serious and more casual athletes alike. With its family atmosphere and around 20% of participants competing for the first time, OCEANMAN is a great showcase to promote open water swimming as a healthy lifestyle. We’re pleased to be involved in this initiative as a partner, and fully embrace the OCEANMAN project as an all-round experience.”
“We are inspired by this partnership with arena,” said OCEANMAN CEO, Fermin Egido. “Our initial goal is to create a new wave in open water swimming lifestyle.”
The OCEANMAN 2022 edition is expected to attract around 25,000 swimmers – 20% of whom are participating in an open water event for the first time – and 80,000 spectators, and has a global reach through TV and social media live streaming across 100 countries worldwide; over 130,000 fans follow the events on various social media platforms, not including Youtube exposure.
Each event is typically conducted in a holiday/family atmosphere, and attracts both amateur and professional athletes. arena will have a store at each event featuring beachwear, open water swimming wetsuits and equipment, and products customised for each event. The company's cutting-edge Storm wetsuit, launched in 2021, and its renowned range of arena goggles will headline the array of products on show. In addition, swimmers and friends will be able to try out arena products – including open water wetsuits and triathlon suits – through on-site test sessions.
Historically, arena has always had a strong connection with open water swimming, and its wetsuits, swimsuits and goggles have long been the choice of the top athletes of the sport. In addition, the company is a long-term sponsor of open water's leading names, including Olympic champions Florian Wellbrock (2020), Sharon Van Rouwendaal and Ferry Weertman (2016), and Oussama Mellouli (2012), as well as Olympic silver and bronze medallists Gregorio Paltrinieri (2020), Marc-Antoine Olivier (2016), and Haley Anderson, Thomas Lurz and Richard Weinberger (2012).
