Australian swimmer wins two events at inaugural Penghu Oceanman

Taipei, June 14 (CNA) Thomas Gilbert of Australia completed an impressive double on the final day of the inaugural Penghu Oceanman by winning the 5-kilometer Half Oceanman race Sunday.

Gilbert's win gave him victory in the two longest events in the two-day competition, after taking the 10-kilometer Oceanman on Saturday.

In both races, swimmers started in the Guanyinting Recreation Area on the western coast of the city of Magong, swam into the bay, and then returned, covering different numbers of laps for their respective distances.

Sunday's 5-km swim had been set to start across the bay from the beach of the Daguoye Coast Guard Administration on Xiyu Island, but organizers changed that because of Sunday's weather and water conditions.

There were 1,450 competitors participating in five events Sunday, four of which were qualifying events for the international Oceanman World Final Championship in November.

Those four events were the Half Oceanman, 500-meter Oceankids swim, 3 x 500 m Oceanteams relay, and 500 m Oceanadults race on Sunday.

Some of Sunday's competitors had to forfeit because of different circumstances, including a Taiwanese swimmer who pulled out after being accidentally struck by fellow swimmers in the water and a Japanese swimmer who had to leave early to catch a flight.

A 5 km stand up paddle (SUP) race was the fifth event on Sunday. It was not part of the official international Oceanman competiton, but it was part of the program because it has been a staple of the old version of the Penghu competition.

The annual competition, originally known as the Cross Penghu Bay Swim, was upgraded to the two-day 2026 Penghu Oceanman this year.

A total of around 2,550 athletes from 23 countries, including Japan, the United States, India, and Malaysia, competed in the waters of Penghu Bay during the two-day event.