EIN GEDI, Israel -- A multinational group of swimmers swam seven hours through the salty, soupy waters of the Dead Sea on Tuesday in a bid to draw attention to the environmental degradation of the fabled lake.At dawn, the 25 swimmers left on boats from Ein Gedi on the Israeli side of the Dead Sea to Wadi Mujib on the Jordanian side. Then, wearing special protective masks and snorkels, the swimmers paddled through the thick waters in what turned into a 17-kilometer (11-mile) swim from Jordan to Israel.Swimming in the Dead Sea is unusual.Tourists typically dip themselves from the beaches and float on the water with the help of the lakes high salt concentration. It also draws people from around the world who believe the waters high mineral content is beneficial for skin conditions.The Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth at 423 meters (1,388 feet) below sea level, has shrunk significantly over recent decades, a process environmentalists blame on unsustainable water management and over-exploitation of the lakes minerals.Were here for the first ever Dead Sea swim challenge with 25 swimmers that come from all over the world to send out a clear message to save the Dead Sea, which is shrinking today at an alarming rate, said Mira Edelstein, from the environmental group EcoPeace, one of the swims organizers.Organizers say the Dead Seas water level has fallen more than 25 meters (80 feet) over the last three decades. The lakes southern basin, disconnected from the shrinking northern side, has seen flooding in recent years because of heavy industrialization.The swimmers, who hailed from Israel, the Palestinian territories and as far as New Zealand, South Africa and Denmark, wore special face masks to shield them from the briny water, which is painful to the eyes and can be deadly to ingest. The group was accompanied by support vessels with medical equipment and food.Despite the tough conditions, only three swimmers failed to finish -- two who suffered from dehydration and a third who complained of chills.Four swimmers took breaks on the medical vessel. Palestinian lifeguard Yussuf Matari, 61, was treated with an IV as he rested in the shade of a boats tarp before plunging in to the waters again.Jackie Cobell, a British long-distance swimmer, called the Dead Sea swim historic and iconic, before descending into the water. This is really important because its disappearing fast.Those who neared the shoreline first waited so all could finish the race together. Speakers blared We are the Champions, the iconic hit by the English rock band Queen.I must say that I did not expect this swim to be so hard and what was really, really tough conditions is that salt. Constantly trying to get the salt out of your mask and the chafing, said Jean Craven, a founder of Madswimmer, a South African charity that participates in open water swims around the world to raise money for childrens causes.This was a challenge, not a race, he added. It was really great to see the camaraderie, you know, everyone trying to bring the slowest swimmers along with them. Ferguson Jenkins Jersey . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. Cole Hamels Jersey . LUCIE, Fla. http://www.authentictexasrangersgear.com/customized/ . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Mike Napoli Jersey . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Nolan Ryan Jersey . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p. MINNEAPOLIS -- Barely a year after acquiring Carlos Gomez, the Houston Astros have let the two-time All-Star center fielder go amid a season-long slump.The 30-year-old Gomez was designated for assignment Wednesday before the game in Minnesota, where he played two seasons at the beginning of his career.Manager A.J. Hinch praised Gomezs attitude despite the persistent struggles, but he was batting .210 with 100 strikeouts in 295 at-bats and a woeful .594 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. His contract was expiring at the end of the year.I just think he put a lot of pressure on himself to be perfect, and the harder he tried, sometimes the more difficult it became, Hinch said. It wasnt a lack of effort. It wasnt a lack of preparation. It wasnt a lack of anything other than production on the field.Gomez and starting pitcher Mike Fiers arrived from Milwaukee the day before the non-waiver trade deadline last year for four prospects, none of whom have reached the major leagues with the Brewers yet. But Gomez, who was making $9 million this season, will go down as one of the franchises biggest busts.Sometimes it just doesnt work. I know he carried the burden of being the big acquisition in July. He often spoke of feeling responsible and trying to play better for the team, knowing that he was a big addition last July during the playoff race, Hinch said. We can poke holes at guys, especially on their way out the door, but Ill choose to remember the more positive impact -- the home run in New York in the playoffs, the continual ennergy behind the scenes, the selflessness in talking to some of the young players.ddddddddddddThe Astros were a surprise AL wild-card team last year and after beating the Yankees fell to the World Series champion Kansas City Royals in five games in the next round. Gomez hit .242 with 13 extra-base hits and 10 stolen bases in 41 games for the Astros after the trade.This season, hes been badly off track. He even made two glaring gaffes in the field Monday, his last game for Houston, by letting a single skip by him for a two-base error that allowed one run to score and losing a routine fly ball that became an RBI triple during a three-run fifth inning for the victorious Twins.He wasnt having a good year, obviously, but at least he tried hard, second baseman Jose Altuve said.Trying too hard has long been one of Gomezs troubles, a multi-talented athlete who has inconsistently harnessed his exuberance.We really wanted to start to play the guys who we felt were going to help us on a nightly basis more than the others, and thats not knocking Carlos Gomez at all, Hinch said. I think he brought his best every single day to try to help us win.The Astros recalled right-handed reliever Jandel Gustave from Triple-A Fresno to fill Gomezs roster spot. Jake Marisnick will take over in center field, and Tony Kemp will get plenty of time in left field. Colby Rasmus is on the disabled list with an ear problem. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '