Women’s Euro League, Quarter-finals – Uralochka stuns Kinef, advantage Sabadell

 

The Russian derby produced the most unexpected result in the quarter-finals as Uralochka soundly beat 2017 and 2018 champion Kirishi. Sabadell earned a two-goal advantage against Olympiacos in the re-match of the 2019 final, while UVSE claimed a big win in Mataro.

Quarter-finals, 1st leg: Astralpool-Sabadell (ESP) v Olympiacos Piraeus (GRE) 14-12, Kinef Surgutneftegas Kirishi (RUS) v Dynamo Uralochka (RUS) 8-11, CN Mataro (ESP) v UVSE Budapest Hunguest Hotels (HUN) 9-12, Lifebrain SIS Rome (ITA) v Dunaujvarosi Foiskola (HUN) 11-11 (played on Wednesday) Second leg: 13 March

In the all-Russian clash Uralochka came up with a superb performance in Kirishi. Former winner Kinef fought hard in the end to retain at least some hope for the return leg since the visitors rushed to a 2-7 lead in the third and still led 5-10 before the last period. Then the hosts netted three in a row to cut the gap to two but Elvina Karimova scored an action goal to secure a three-goal advantage for Dynamo.

Sabadell and Olympiacos produced a brilliant match, just like in the last final contested in this competition back in the Easter weekend of 2019. The title- holder Spaniards took a 6-4 lead deep into the second period but then the Greeks had a great spell and with a 1-5 run they went 7-9 ahead in the third, then Catharina van der Sloot hit a double in 63 seconds to tie the match once more. The final period began at 10-10, the five-time winner host side netted two and kept the two-goal lead till the end.

The other Spanish side Mataro tried to hold off UVSE for a while but the Hungarians got rolling in the middle of the third and claimed a win which looks decisive. The hosts could never take the lead in the game and chasing their experienced rivals burnt too much energy. Though they could climb back from 4-7 to 6-7 before the last period but three more goals from the Magyars early in the fourth put the Budapest based club into a comfortable position before the second leg.

The fourth clash was played on Wednesday and 2018 Super Cup winner Dunaujvaros managed to keep the only Italian side on equal terms in Rome. Dorottya Szilagyi was instrumental in the Hungarians’ campaign as she netted 6, the most brilliant individual effort in the first leg.

For detailed results:

http://len.microplustiming.com/LENEuroLeagueWomen/indexCL_web.php?cal=1

Men’s Euro Cup LEN Water Polo, Eight-finals

 

Only Radnicki Kragujevac could win at home in the first leg (by a single goal) – five visiting sides earned fine wins, the two Hungarians already decided their respective duels, and two contests ended in a tie.

Eight-finals, 1st leg: Astralpool-Sabadell (ESP) v CE Mediterrani (ESP) 9-9, CN Barcelona (ESP) v HAVK Mladost Zagreb (CRO) 9-11, Sintez Kazan (RUS) v Dynamo Moscow (RUS) 12-14, Pays d’Aix Natation (FRA) v A Hid-OSC Budapest (HUN) 6-22, Primorac Kotor (MNE) v Szolnoki Dozsa (HUN) 8-18, VK Novi Beograd (SRB) v NC Vouliagmeni (GRE) 7-7, VK Radnicki Kragujevac (SRB) Team Strasbourg SNS (FRA) 11-10, EN Tourcoing (FRA) v Crvena Zvezda (SRB) 9-12

Second leg: 6 March

Radnicki saved the home teams’ pride though only by fingernail – the Serbs seemed to have the game against Strasbourg in hand and led 10-7 in the fourth but the French netted three in a row for 10-10. Leftie Aleksa Ukropina managed to convert a man-up 27 seconds from time to win the match for Radnicki.

Two home sides could at least hold for a tie at the end – though Novi Beograd had to dig deep against Vouliagmeni to force a draw after scoring the last three goals for 7-7. In the Spanish derby, Sabadell came back from 3-6 down and took the lead twice after 7-7 but Mediterrani managed to equalise and looks a bit better positioned for the return leg.

The two Hungarians are not just better positioned but can already be considered quarter-finalists as they blasted their respective rivals. Szolnok produced a 2-9 run in the middle two periods in Kotor to down Primorac by ten goals at the end. The visitors’ Serbian legion of Filip Filipovic, Radomir Drasovic and Dusko Pijetlovic contributed 11 goals to the devastating win. A bit later OSC Budapest was even more brutal in Provance – a 2-7 opening period set the tone and the Hungarians stopped at 22 against Pays d’Aix, Krisztian Manhercz was their top scorer with 6.

The third French team lost as well: Tourcoing fell behind early against Crvena Zvezda and tried to catch up the Serbs in vain. Though after 1-4 and 4-7 they managed to come back to 9-10 late in the fourth but the visitors scored two in the last 50 seconds and the three-goal lead should give them some comfort before the second battle in Belgrade.

Just like in the women’s Euro League quarters, the two Russian participants were drawn together and in this competition the visiting side won, too.

Dynamo was in control in the entire match, were 4 goals ahead twice in the game but Sintez halved the gap till the end.

Croatia’s Mladost faced a big challenge as half of the team were in action last week at the Olympic qualifiers but Luka Bukic (3) and Russian leftie Konstantin Kharkov (4) took charge and secured a two-goal win by the end in Spain.

For live results:

http://len.microplustiming.com/leneurocup/indexCL_web.php?cal=1

Women’s Euro League, Quarter-finals – preview Super Saturday, 1st leg

 

Three outstanding clashes are in sight this Saturday in the first leg of the women’s Euro League quarter-finals, including the re-match of the last final played in this competition in 2019, featuring Sabadell (ESP) and Olympiacos (GRE).

Besides the re-match of the 2019 final, there is an all-Russian duel plus a highly interesting clash between Mataro (ESP) and UVSE Budapest (HUN). This later encounter is linked to an ‘old story’ from March 2017 when UVSE met underdog Mataro but fell to the Spanish side. Back in those years UVSE was in a full-gear search for the most coveted trophy but could never reached the top height – though their consolation came soon when they claimed the LEN Trophy. This time many of the Hungarian champion’s players are still fresh from the Olympic qualification success with the national team while Mataro is eager to repeat its feat from four years ago and that promises two great matches.

Catalonia – one day after the local Swimming Federation celebrated its 100th anniversary – will see another outstanding match on Saturday. Title-holder Sabadell faces off Olympiacos Piraeus in the absolute highlight of the quarters. These two sides played the 2019 final which was one of the most thrilling matches ever seen in this event. Olympiacos led 11-8 with 5:17 to go but Sabadell staged a resurrection on Easter Saturday and with a 5-0 rush they clinched their 5th title. The Spaniards appeared in seven finals since 2011, but Olympiacos also has a great record: four appearances in the last five Final Fours, won in 2015, was runner-up in 2017 and 2019 so this duel is a mouth-watering contest in anybody’s language.

The third match on Saturday is an all-Russian derby with 2017 and 2018 champion Kinef Kirishi and its fiercest home rival Uralochka. Kinef, with no less than ten F4 appearances since 2005 is the absolute favourite, however, in the current environment no one may dare to place a sure bet.

The fourth QF was already played, Italy’s lonely remaining participant SIS Rome drew with 2018 Super Cup winner Dunaujvaros (HUN) and the 11-11 result will offer some huge excitements for the return leg due on 13 March.

 

Women’s Euro League, Quarter-finals, 1st leg

11.45 Astralpool-Sabadell (ESP) v Olympiacos Piraeus (GRE)

15.00 Kinef Surgutneftegas Kirishi (RUS) v Dynamo Uralochka (RUS)

19.00 CN Mataro (ESP) v UVSE Budapest Hunguest Hotels (HUN)

Played on 24 February

Lifebrain SIS Rome (ITA) v Dunaujvarosi Foiskola (HUN) 11-11

For detailed results:

http://len.microplustiming.com/LENEuroLeagueWomen/indexCL_web.php?cal=1

26 February 2021

Men’s Euro Cup, Eight-finals – preview More excitements are coming

 

Besides the women’s Euro League quarters, the first leg of the eight-finals in the men’s Euro Cup contributes to the excitements of this LEN Water Polo Super Saturday.

Quite a colourful field came together, featuring many teams which could not make the cut in the Champions League qualifiers and the top Euro Cup entrants. Just like in the women’s quarters, this competition also features na all-Russian derby between Sintez and Dynamo Moscow but also a Spanish duel with Sabadell and Mediterrani (it’s going to be a great show in Sabadell, the men’s game follows the women’s clash of the local team against Olympiacos – too bad that fans cannot attend this spectacle).

It’s also interesting to see the French v Serbian match-ups (Radnicki v Strasbourg and Tourcoing v Zvezda) – the French sides enjoyed a great run in the previous round so they can’t be considered underdogs. At least in these two games, as the third club from France, Pays d’Aix faces one of Hungary’s top sides OSC. The other Magyar club in the field is Szolnok, one of the hottest favourites for the trophy, however, their visit to Kotor may bring some great excitements as no one can take anything granted in Montenegro.

Upcoming Serbian club Novi Beograd can also have a shot at the cup based on their strong performances in the Champions League qualification, now they meet Vouliagmeni, the only Greek team in the race. Croatia also has one club standing, Mladost – being just one game away from making the cut in the Champions League in November – travels to Barcelona and expected to advance from this contest.

Men’s Euro Cup, Eight-finals, 1st leg

13.45 Astralpool-Sabadell (ESP) v CE Mediterrani (ESP)

16.45 CN Barcelona (ESP) v HAVK Mladost Zagreb (CRO)

18.00 Sintez Kazan (RUS) v Dynamo Moscow (RUS)

18.00 Pays d’Aix Natation (FRA) v A Hid-OSC Budapest (HUN)

18.00 Primorac Kotor (MNE) v Szolnoki Dozsa (HUN)

18.00 VK Novi Beograd (SRB) v NC Vouliagmeni (GRE)

19.30 VK Radnicki Kragujevac (SRB) Team Strasbourg SNS (FRA)

20.00 EN Tourcoing (FRA) v Crvena Zvezda (SRB)

For live results:

http://len.microplustiming.com/leneurocup/indexCL_web.php?cal=1

 

26 February 2021

Santiago Grassi Professional swimmer and marketing grad

 

Away from the glitz and glamour of the Olympic Games, dozens of athletes subsidise their daily training routines by having other jobs. From farming to banking, Tokyo 2020 looks at several hopefuls aiming to make an impact next summer and what roles they have outside of competition. This week, we look at Argentine swimmer Santiago Grassi, who is taking a plunge into the world of marketing.

 

The deets

Name: Santiago Grassi

Age: 24

Country: Argentina

Sport: Swimming

 

His athlete life

Santiago Grassi first tasted victory on the international stage at just 18-years-old, when he won silver in the 100m butterfly at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. He finished the race in a new Argentine record of 52.09, just behind the USA’s Giles Smith who posted a new Pan American record of 52.04.

But this wasn’t the first time Grassi had announced his immense potential to the world of swimming. Just months before the Pan American Games, the Santa Fe-born athlete broke one of the oldest records in Argentine swimming, the 52.93 100m butterfly record that legendary swimmer Jose Meolans had set in 2003.

As an up-and-coming South American swimmer, Grassi made his Olympic debut at Rio 2016, where, unfortunately, his impressive time of 52.56 wasn’t enough to take him past the heats. Then in the build-up to the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, he became the first Argentine to break the 52-second barrier when he finished a University meet in a time of 51.88.

The 2019 Pan Ams represented a bitter-sweet moment for Grassi. While his time performance wasn’t enough to win the coveted gold medal, the 51.92 he posted during the preliminary round was enough for him to secure qualification to Tokyo 2020.

His trophy cabinet now includes two Pan American team event medals and eight South American Championship medals, while he has also competed in two World Championships and holds four Argentine records.

Now with a ticket to a second Olympics in his possession, Tokyo 2020 might be the perfect stage for him to take the next step forward.

 

His professional life

While 2020 was a year of disrupted plans for many, Santi - as he is affectionately known - was able to make gains in both his personal and professional life.

Not only did he turn pro as a swimmer, joining the International Swimming League’s (ISL) LA Current, he also graduated from Auburn University with a major in Marketing and Information System Management.

In a recent interview with Argentina Amateur Deporte, Grassi explained that while landing a full-time job isn’t high on his list of priorities, he has been gaining experience by working in the marketing department of his father’s business.

“It’s one of my dreams to have the financial stability to be able to swim for many years, and enjoy it.”

But one great aspect of swimming in the ISL is that athletes can compete without having to look for other forms of employment.

“My dream is to make a living from swimming, I love this sport. I don’t do it for the money, but nowadays, being an adult and living on my own and really making a living from swimming is not that easy."

“It is something I enjoy and I hope to be able to continue doing for many years. For now, I will aim for four more years and then see what the situation is.”

 

BY https://tokyo2020.org/en/news/santiago-grassi-professional-swimmer-and-marketing-grad

TOKYO 2020

International Paralympic Committee unveils shortlist for 2021 International Women’s Day Recognition awards

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has released the shortlist for the 2021 International Women’s Day Recognition, with winners to be announced on 8 March’s global celebration of women and gender equality.

This is the second year, since its inception in 2013, the International Women’s Day Recognition has expanded into categories, awarding primarily women in the Paralympic Movement who inspire and emulate the Paralympic ideals, and serve as positive role models.

Five outstanding female candidates each, make up the Builder and Next Generation categories, respectively. Three organisations have been shortlisted for the National Paralympic Committee and International Federation (NPC/IF) category.

The winners will be decided by the IPC’s Women in Sport Committee, chaired by Rita van Driel, who said:

“The 2021 International Women’s Day Recognition supports one of the IPC’s key strategic objectives, which is to promote gender balance in leadership positions across the Paralympic Movement.  I can say without doubt that the 2021 nominations process has been our strongest to date, and we are hugely encouraged by the number of entries which showed women across the Movement breaking down barriers that restrict participation and implementing initiatives that engage more women at all levels and positions in Paralympic sport.”

BUILDER

This category recognises sustained and consistent leadership over a period of time, advocacy, overall contributions and impact promoting and supporting women in sport:

Batoul Moshref Javadi – The Deputy of Women Students’ Affairs Across the Country in Iran also serves on NPC Iran’s executive board, shedding light on the abilities and challenges for women. She is also the Vice President of Women Affairs for the Iran Sports Federation for the Disabled.

Kate Caithness CBE – The President of the World Curling Federation is one of the two women International Federation Presidents. Caithness has developed wheelchair curling by running try-out sessions in Scotland, before playing a central part in the introduction of the World Wheelchair Curling Championship in 2002 and eventually wheelchair curling’s place at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games. She was instrumental in the recent introduction of the wheelchair mixed doubles to the Paralympic programme.

Ann Cody - The Paralympic champion currently oversees the International Disability Rights portfolio at the US Department of State, where she works to promote inclusivity and fight discrimination for persons with disabilities globally. She has also held leadership positions at the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, IPC and International Olympic Committee.

Ming-chu Mu - Having served as the President of the Chinese Taipei Paralympic Committee since 1992, Dr Mu has led the nation to its Paralympic debut at Barcelona 1992 and since, worked towards popularising Para sports at home and increasing women’s participation.

Shaenaz Voss – Through mentoring, Voss has been building a platform for Para sports in Fiji, and her efforts are evident in terms of the growth of women leaders within NPC Fiji, both at executive and operational levels. In her current Presidency role, NPC Fiji has 43 per cent female representation on the Executive Board and is working to elevate female athletes, such as Naibili Vatunisolo, who hopes to be the country’s third female Paralympian.

NEXT GENERATION

This category honours emerging leadership, advocacy, overall contributions and impact promoting and supporting women in sport. Candidates in this category are considered to be in the early stage of their career:

Jenny Ortiz Cardenas – The Colombian is a member of World Para Powerlifting’s Education and Development Advisory Group, a professor at a university, an international technical official and course educator. She supported the creation of a mentorship initiative for women technical official and coaches as well as ‘She Can Lift’.

Fathimath Ibrahim - The Para athlete excels off the tack, volunteering with the Maldivian Red Crescent for the past 10 years and has advanced to a managerial position. Additionally, she has been a member of the blind and vision impaired society of Maldives, Women and Democracy, Cancer Society, Regional Alliance for Fostering Youth and the Maldives Women’s Association.

Zahra Nemati - Iran’s first gold medallist at a Paralympic or Olympics is also a distinguished activist. She participated at the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and in May 2018, she was designated as the first Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Ambassador by the president of Global Understanding (GU) Regional Action Centre in Iran.

Ileana Rodriguez - A former refugee and London 2012 Paralympian, Rodriguez  has worked as the Americas Paralympic Committee Athlete Representative and runs ‘I Design Access’, a design consulting firm looking to create more accessible buildings for persons with disabilities. She will be Chef de Mission for the Tokyo 2020 Refugee Paralympic Team.

Nur Syahidah Binte Alim – Singapore’s first female Para archer and first world champion currently serves as a member of the Asian Paralympic Committee Athlete's Committee and was the Chairperson of the Singapore Para Athletes Commission from 2018-2020.

NPC/IF

This category recognises the leadership and impact of National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and International Federations (IFs) who promote and support women in sport:

World Para Powerlifting – Through collaboration with researchers, studies were conducted analysing the barriers and facilitators of female athletes, technical officials and coaches, which led to the development of dedicated programmes such as ‘She Can Lift’ that was launched to educate and empower women participants to become technical officials and coaches within the sport. She Can Lift engaged women in 25 countries and World Para Powerlifting has seen a 138 per cent increase in women participating in the sport since 2009.

Paralympics New Zealand – Through its commitment in being an equal opportunities employer, PNZ’s staff is comprised of 80 per cent female senior leadership and has many involved in advocacy for women and girls in sport. The achievements of its athletes have opened up numerous opportunities to promote diversity and inclusion; for example, Sport NZ media research project reported 57 per cent of Paralympic coverage includes women compared to 33 per cent of Olympic coverage.

NPC Peru - The growth and development of the NPC has involved and promoted not only the development of Para sport at the national level, but specifically the inclusion of Para female athletes.

The 2020 winners were Poland’s Paulina Malinowska-Kowalczyk (Builder), Jordan’s Maha Bargouthi (Next Generation Leader) and Paralympics Australia (National Paralympic Committee and International Federation).

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It co-ordinates the organisation of the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for 10 sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC’s vision is to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the world. 

Nomination d’un Nouveau Directeur Technique National de la Federation Senegalaise de Natation

 

Suite à l’élection du nouveau bureau de la Fédération Sénégalaise de Natation et de Sauvetage (FSNS) le 22 novembre 2020, Monsieur Thierno DIOUF, précédemment Directeur Technique de la Région de Dakar est nommé par arrêté ministériel Nº 0001160 du 27 janvier 2021, Directeur Technique National (DTN) de la FSNS en remplacement de Monsieur Avelino Gomes MONTEIRO. Toutes nos Félicitations et nous lui souhaitons plein succès dans l’exécution de sa mission.

FEDERATION SENEGALAISE DE NATATION ET DE SAUVETAGE

Men's Water Polo - Tokyo bound for Montenegro, Greece and Croatia

 

MEN'S WATER POLO OLYMPIC GAMES QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT

Montenegro, Greece and Croatia secured this weekend in Rotterdam (NED) the last three Olympic berths up for grab at the FINA Men's Water Polo Olympic Games Qualification Tournamen (February 14-21, 2021).

With no clear favourite for the victory, Montenegro ended up defeating the Hellenic squad 10-9 in the the gold match (2-3, 3-3, 1-2, 4-1). Despite the latter leading the first half of the game, it was the last quarter that made the difference for the Balkan team and turned the match in their favour.

In a dramatic match for the bronze medal and ultimate Olympic spot, Croatia stuned Russia 25-24 (4-3, 2-4, 3-1, 2-3) as the battle finished with penalties (14-13), a really tough end for the Russian players who narrolwy miss their Olympic ambition.

A total of 12 men teams will be competing in Tokyo as the above three squads join the already qualified nine teams, namely: Serbia (FINA Water Polo World League 2019 winner), Italy and Spain (18th FINA World Championships winner and runner-up), USA (Pan American Games 2019), Australia (Oceania), Hungary (European Championships 2020), South Africa (Africa), Kazakhstan (Asia), Japan (host).

The final ranking in Rotterdam was:

1. Montenegro, 2. Greece, 3. Croatia, 4. Russia, 5. Netherlands, 6. France, 7. Georgia, 8. Canada

Soon after the Olympic Qualification Tournament concluded in Rotterdam, the draws for the men’s and women’s Olympic tournaments were held and the groups were composed as follows:

 

Women’s tournament

Group A: Australia, South Africa, Netherlands, Spain, Canada

Group B: Russia, China, Hungary, United States, Japan

 

Men’s tournament

Group A: South Africa, United States, Hungary, Greece, Japan, Italy

Group B: Australia, Croatia, Serbia, Spain, Kazakhstan, Montenegro

 

All matches from Rotterdam are available on replay on FINAtv, while day-by-day news reports can be read on FINA website and photos / videos can be found on FINA social media channels. Results available here http://results.microplustiming.com/rotterdam2020/index_web.php

 

Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA)

The Fédération Internationale de Natation, founded in 1908, is the governing body for aquatics worldwide. FINA's five discipline Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Artistic Swimming - are all included in the Olympic programme. High Diving made its first appearance in FINA events at the 2013 FINA World Championships. FINA counts 209 affiliated National Federations on the five continents and has its headquarters in Lausanne (SUI).

FINA launches new website to reach more Aquatic fans worldwide

 

FINA is thrilled to launch a brand new website which has been developed in close coordination with Pulselive, FINA’s digital partner.

This first major digital reform will enable FINA to engage further with the ever-growing Aquatics fan community around the globe in a more efficient manner and it has the ambition to create new sponsorship and commercial opportunities.

Pulselive, whose clients include the Premier League and World Rugby, provide digital solutions to some of the biggest sports organisations in the world. Building upon the re-created FINA website, this is the first of several endeavors for the Pulselive/FINA partnership.

The objectives of this new platform are to become the first global digital access point for aquatic sport fans and increase the visibility and relevance of the FINA events throughout a busy yearly calendar.

The navigation as well as the design are highly improved and an emphasis was put on the personal user experience so that accessibility to basic content such as results, scores and ranking, is facilitated. A strong focus on data, athletes and results was given when planning. In addition, the following innovations will be available:

Full revised interface usability compatible with any device and screen

Result and athlete sections completely revamped with more data and information available (i.e. comprehensive athlete biographies)

Enhanced user experience thanks to the catchy design and room for videos and photos fully integrated in the platform

Enthusiastic about the exciting project, FINA President Julio C. Maglione said: “FINA is proud to reveal the new website that has been in the works for many months. It is a powerful communication tool and a platform entirely dedicated to the aquatics community to support it and maximize cooperation.”

“With this platform, we reinforce FINA’s digital brand awareness and reputation in the sports world and we position this new tool as the primary source of information for FINA’s six disciplines for our various audiences: the fans, the media, our 209 NFs, the athletes and their coaches and finally the FINA Family.”

“We are certain that the catchy looks & feel and the information relevance will be appreciated by the users,” he concluded.

Pulselive’s Managing Director, Wyndham Richardson stated: “We are excited to be working in partnership with FINA and supporting their efforts in growing the global aquatics community. Collaboratively creating best-in-class digital experiences for fans to engage and re-immerse themselves in the world of aquatics is on the forefront of our mission to creating experiences sports fans can’t live without.”

 

Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA)

The Fédération Internationale de Natation, founded in 1908, is the governing body for aquatics worldwide. FINA's five discipline Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Artistic Swimming - are all included in the Olympic programme. High Diving made its first appearance in FINA events at the 2013 FINA World Championships. FINA counts 209 affiliated National Federations on the five continents and has its headquarters in Lausanne (SUI).

Everything you need to know about Olympic Diving at Tokyo 2020

Don't miss the excitement of the perfect plungeon. Find out all about who the key athletes to watch will be in 2021, when and where will Olympic Divers will be performing, and more. 

Diving has featured at the Olympic Games for over a century, and there will be eight medals on offer in the sport at Tokyo 2020.

There will be four medals available each for men and women, including two 3m springboard and two 10m platform events.

Here's what to look for in the sport at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021.

Top divers at Tokyo 2020

People's Republic of China is the dominant force at diving, and they won seven out of eight gold medals at Rio 2016.

The Asian powerhouse won nine out of 12 events at the 2019 world championships, meaning they will once again be the nation to beat at Tokyo.

On the men’s side, double world champion YANG Jian has been the most consistent diver in this Olympic cycle. But he will have one eye on Britain’s Tom Daley, who beat him on one leg of the last World Series and will be hoping to add another Olympic medal to his tally.

In the synchro 10m event, China’s depth of diving talent is on full display with double Olympic gold medallists CAO Yuan and CHEN Aisen the clear favourites.

 

Things could be more competitive in the 3m springboard however with Britain’s Jack Laugher set to provide another stern examination of his Chinese rivals, four-time world champion XIE Siyi and Cao.

Synchro Olympic champion Laugher will have a new partner in Dan Goodfellow for Tokyo, but their silver medal at the 2019 world champs suggests they will be competitive. However, they were beaten by Xie and Cao in Gwangju, who will be quietly confident of another victory.

Laugher will also be a threat in the individual event, having won silver in Rio and was leading the 2019 world champions until an uncharacteristic error on the final jump meant he finished in third.

On the women’s side, 3m springboard queen and double Olympic champion SHI Tingmao will lead China’s charge.

Her nearest competition will come from compatriot and world champion synchro partner WANG Han, as well as Australian Olympic bronze medallist Maddison Keeny.

Also keep an eye out for Canadian Olympic bronze medallist Jenny Abel who took world silver in 2019 in the individual event, and synchro alongside Melissa Citrini-Beaulieu.

On the 10m platform, all eyes will be on Chinese teenager CHEN Yuxi, who won the individual world title in 2019 as a 13-year old. Her main rivals will be compatriots in Olympic champion REN Qian and fellow world champs Lu Wei and ZHANG Jiagi.

In the synchro event, keep an eye out for double 2018 Youth Olympic Games gold medallist LIN Shan.

 

Olympic Diving schedule at Tokyo 2020

Diving competition runs from 25 July-7 August 2021, being the men's 10 m platform event the last one of the competition.

Check here the complete schedule and all times are in Japan Standard Time (JST).

https://tokyo2020.org/en/schedule/diving-schedule

 

Olympic diving competition format at Tokyo 2020

There will be eight diving competitions, with both men's and women's versions the 3m springboard, synchronised 3m springboard, 10m platform, and synchronised 10m platform.

Unlike the world championships, there are no mixed events.

There will be 136 athletes taking part in the competition, with athletes from Japan, People's Republic of China, Mexico, USA, Great Britain, Canada and Malaysia having qualified so far.

Qualification has not been completed yet, with the final places to be won at the 2021 FINA Diving World Cup.

 

Olympic diving venue at Tokyo 2020

Diving will take place at the brand new Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

The state-of-the-art facility was opened by Rikako Ikee, and is located in the Tatsumi-no-Mori Seaside Park. With a 15,000-fan capacity will also host swimming and artistic swimming.

Following the 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, the venue will host domestic and international competitions.

Check the venue details here https://tokyo2020.org/en/venues/tokyo-aquatics-centre

 

By the Olympic Channel

Swim Ireland Announce Details of 2021 National Team Trials

Swim Ireland has today announced details of their Irish National Team Trials for the 2021 International Summer Meets, including the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Trials, which will run from 20th – 24th April 2021 at the National Aquatic Centre on the Sport Ireland Campus, will replace the formerly announced '2021 Irish Open Swimming Championships'.

Athletes will have the opportunity to meet qualification standards for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 2021 LEN European Championships in Budapest (Hungary) in May, the FISU World University Games in Chengdu (China) in August and the LEN European Junior Championships in July, with a venue yet to be confirmed.

The competition will comprise of a full Olympic programme with heats, semi-finals, and finals in all 50m, 100m and 200m events and heats and finals in 400m, 800m and 1500m events. It will give our top athletes several qualification opportunities and will provide some very exciting swims over the course of the meet.

The Trials will be open to Performance athletes currently training in recognised onshore training bubbles in National Centre Dublin, National Centre Limerick and at Bangor Aurora, as well as those identified athletes of similar standing who are living and training offshore.

Swim Ireland wholeheartedly recognises the support of the Irish Government, Department of Sport, Sport Ireland and the Sport Ireland Institute, the Olympic Federation of Ireland, the National Aquatic Centre, and Sport Northern Ireland and its Institute for supporting us to deliver this event for our top Irish performance athletes.

Irish International Brendan Hyland is just .07 of a second from the qualification time in the 200m Butterfly and is relishing the opportunity to qualify for his first Olympic Games, he commented ‘The addition of semi-finals gives us an extra chance to perform at our best and ultimately my aim is to nail the 200m Butterfly time (1:56.48) at the start of the meet. That’s always been the plan for a long time now.’

Speaking on today’s announcement, Swim Ireland National Performance Director Jon Rudd commented, "As we continue to deal with the challenge that COVID presents us, we felt that it was important to provide athletes with the best possible opportunity to qualify for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and/or for other Irish National Teams this summer whilst recognising that a lot of the athletes that would normally partake in this competition will not feature as they have not been able to train and prepare for a number of weeks. The event will be live streamed, and our swimming community will be able to join us each day to cheer on those looking to represent their nation this summer and we believe that the balance that this gives us in April is one which will be fully understood and supported by those involved in Irish swimming. For those who are not able to train right now, please remain patient, as your day will come".

Imagery: Swim Ireland

Trish Mayon

WATER POLO - Stanford's John Tanner Named 2020 USOPC College Coach Of The Year

 

STANFORD, Calif. - The Dunlevie Family Director of Women's Water Polo John Tanner has been named the College Coach of the Year by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, announced Tuesday. Tanner was nominated by USA Water Polo.

In its second year, the award aims to recognize and award the work of quality coaches and providers that are creating significant impact in their sport throughout the year. 

"After a year spent video conferencing at my dining room table, away from the Stanford campus and Avery Stadium Pool deck, I was stunned to receive word that the USOPC had chosen me as their College Coach of the Year," said Tanner. "Paradoxically though I could not be more honored in that we are holistic and integrative in our approach, always focused on long term outcomes. Water polo is the world's toughest sport, the perfect vehicle for developing lifelong leaders for this past year's extraordinarily difficult environment and for future challenges we will face. I'm so grateful to be surrounded by our coaching staff, athletes current and former, Olympians past and aspiring, who make every day here a rocket ship ride. No one got to chase their ultimate 2020 competitive aspirations, but we learned and grew so much more in the wake of that disappointment and are grateful to have a renewed, distinct opportunity in 2021."

Tanner, in the midst of his 24th season at the helm the Cardinal, is a six-time ACWPC National Coach of the Year, and has guided Stanford to seven NCAA national championships in his time on The Farm.

Tanner has spent 23 seasons at the helm of the Stanford women's water polo program where he took on the developing program in 1998 and turned it into a nationally-ranked team that has won seven NCAA Championship titles and five Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship titles, and produced 12 Olympians and dozens of U.S. Senior National Team members. Stanford won the most recent NCAA Championship in 2019, and Tanner was subsequently inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame that same year.

"JT is an amazing coach," said Ann Friedlander, Ph.D, an Adjunct Professor of Human Biology at Stanford. "During my time engaging with the Stanford Women's Water Polo Team as a Faculty Fellow, I have been continually impressed with his holistic view of coaching and his ability to bring out the best in his athletes both in the pool and in their lives. Through rigorous practice, team events, interactions with Stanford faculty, TED Talks and bonding experiences, JT helps his players maximize their potential as athletes, teammates, good citizens, and future leaders.  JT should also get extra praise for keeping a sense of team spirit, high moral and focused training (both in person and remotely) during these challenging times of COVID-19.  His success in the pool is only one part of what makes him an exceptional coach and I have enjoyed watching him in action."

Last season, the Cardinal owned a 15-1 record with wins over 14 ranked opponents when COVID-19 halted all sports, forcing Tanner to find creative new ways to engage his athletes. Tanner adjusted the team's athlete-led TED talks to include professors who inspired and sparked interest in their presentation topic. The TED talks were created to cultivate a healthy environment and establish a platform for individuals to share their interests with the team. Additionally, he hosted LinkedIn and resume workshops to prepare athletes for their future and set them up for success after their time at Stanford. His commitment extends outside of competitions in supporting athletes Sarah Klass and Lauren Indart, who launched Swim4Diversity, an organization dedicated to raising funds for racial justice causes. 

"JT continually invests deeply and thoughtfully in enabling each of his players to grow to their full potential as competitors, students and global citizens," said Gary L. Darmstadt, MD, MS, an Associate Dean for Maternal and Child Health, and Professor of Neonatal and Developmental Pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine. "I am highly honored to participate alongside JT as Faculty Athletic Fellow for the team in annual player-student TED talks, faculty appreciation banquets, and mentoring many team members in career development in the health sciences. It's a great joy and inspiration to watch JT in action!"

 

Release courtesy of Stanford Athletics

Greg Mescall

Director of Communications, USA Water Polo

World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi moves date to November, closing the 2021 season

The World Triathlon Championship Abu Dhabi 2021 has been moved to a new date, 5-6 November, for the first time in five years, the local organisers announced. The decision, backed unanimously by the World Triathlon Executive Board, will not only allow more time for the current worldwide travel restrictions to ease, but will be able to serve as a test event for the 2022 Abu Dhabi World Triathlon Championship Finals, also taking place at the end of the season.

The organisers of the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi have planned for a Mixed Relay event to take place the same weekend.

The 2021 season will also see some new cities hosting World Triathlon events, with Osaka (Japan), Lisbon (Portugal) and Haeundae (South Korea) joining the top class world cup circuit.

The first look at the full 2021 World Triathlon calendar approved by the Executive Board reveals plenty of elite racing ahead in the coming months, so get your calendars ready and save the dates! The World Triathlon Championship Series and the World Triathlon World Cups are due to restart after 1 May.

World Triathlon Championship Series

The local organisers of the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series Chengdu, together with CTSA and World Triathlon, have also decided to postpone the event to a later date in the season, considering the current travel restrictions in China. With a new date to be announced in the upcoming weeks, the city is ready to step up to host its first World Triathlon Championship Series event over the sprint distance in a revamped and magnificent venue purposely built to host triathlon events.

The World Triathlon Championship Series season is currently scheduled to begin in the classic Olympic distance challenge of Yokohama, Japan on 15 May.

The Championships move to the UK the following month, with Leeds hosting on 5 June, before a return to Montreal on 26-27 June, both cities having been regulars on the World Triathlon calendar since 2016.

Hamburg marks its 20th successive season as the home of top-level triathlon on 10 July, the milestone also providing the last taste of Championship Series action before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games begin.

The World Triathlon Championship Finals Edmonton will then bring the spotlight back onto Canada’s beautiful Alberta province on 17-22 August for five days of events and first-class racing to crown the 2021 World Triathlon Champions.

The season moves on once more for the inaugural World Triathlon Sprint and Relay Championships taking place in Bermuda on 15-17 October, before the rearranged World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi wraps up 2021 on 5-6 November. The 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi will have a Mixed Relay event to take place the same weekend.

The dates for the World Triathlon Championships Series Chengdu will be confirmed as soon as possible.

World Triathlon World Cups

World Triathlon Cup Miyazaki, due to take place on 20 March, unfortunately had to be canceled by the Japanese Triathlon Union and the local organizing committee, due to the current travel restrictions in the region.

With this on mind, the World Triathlon Cup season is due to open in Osaka, Japan on 8-9 May, a city that welcomes the circuit for the first time.

Also a newcomer in the world cup circuit will be Lisbon, that after hosting successfully European evens, has stepped up and will organise the second stop of the world cups, the first one in Europe, on May 22-23.

The beautiful Arzachena (Italy) will return as host on 29-30 May. From there, racing moves on to Huatulco (Mexico, 12-13 June), Haeundae (South Korea, 4 July), Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, 11-12 September), Weihai (China, 25-26 September), Miyazaki (Japan, 23-24 October) and Tongyeong (South Korea, 30-31 October).

The World Triathlon season as a whole will in fact get under way at the Winter Cup in Asiago on 19 February, followed by the Winter Championships in Andorra on 19-21 March.

The World Triathlon Para Championships Milan will crown the best in the world on 8 May in Italy, with the year’s Para Championship Series action taking place in Yokohama, Leeds and Montreal on the same weekends as the WTCS action. Two Para Cups will be held ahead of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, in Besancon, France (12-13 May), A Coruna, Spain (20 June), followed by Alanya, Turkey (1 October) and Miyazaki, Japan (23-24 October), before closing out in Alhandra, Portugal (30-31 October).

September will see the 2021 World Triathlon Multisport Championships Almere-Amsterdam run from 3-12 of the month, promising a feast of world championship action at all levels in Aquathlon, Aquabike, Cross Triathlon, Duathlon and Long Distance Triathlon.

As with those races that were able to take place in the second half of 2020, new World Triathlon protocols will be put in place and close collaboration with LOCs is already underway to ensure the safest possible conditions for the athletes, teams and all involved in holding the events. All races are subject to change given the continued uncertainty around the Covid-19 pandemic.




Word Triathlon Championship Series 


15 May: Yokohama, Japan

6 May: Leeds, UK


24 June: Montreal, Canada


10 July: Hamburg, Germany

17-22 Aug: Edmonton, Canada (Word Triathlon Championship Final)


5-6 Nov: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Date TBC: Chengdu, China

World Triathlon Sprint & Relay Championships 


15-17 Oct: Bermuda

World Triathlon Cups

8-9 May: Osaka, Japan

22-23 May: Lisbon, Portugal

29-30 May: Arzachena, Italy

12-13 June: Huatulco, Mexico

2-4 July: Haeundae, South Korea


11-12 Sept: Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic


25-26 Sept: Weihai, China 


23-24 Oct: Miyazaki, Japan

30-31 Oct: Tongyeong, South Korea

World Triathlon Para Championships


8 May: Milan, Italy



World Triathlon Para Series 


16 May: Yokohama, Japan

6 June: Leeds, UK

24 June: Montreal, Canada

World Triathlon Para Cup

12-13 May: Besancon, France


20 June: A Coruna, Spain 


1 Oct: Alanya, Turkey


23-24 Oct: Miyazaki, Japan


30-31 Oct: Alhandra, Portugal

World Triathlon Multisport Championships

3-12 Sept: Almere-Amsterdam, Netherlands

World Triathlon Winter Championships

19-21 March: Andorra

World Triathlon Winter Cup

19 Feb: Asiago, Italy

World Triathlon Powerman Long Distance Duathlon Championships

30 May: Zofingen, Switzerland

 

ABOUT WORLD TRIATHLON

 

World Triathlon is the international governing body for the Olympic sport of triathlon and all related multisport disciplines around the world, including duathlon, aquathlon, cross triathlon and winter triathlon. Triathlon made its Olympic debut in Sydney 2000, with a third medal event, the Mixed Team Relay, added to the programme at Tokyo 2020, while paratriathlon was first added to the Paralympic programme at Rio 2016. World Triathlon is proudly committed to the development of the sport worldwide, with inclusion, equality, sustainability and transparency at our core as we seek to help triathletes at all levels of the sport to be extraordinary. 

IPC statement - Yoshiro Mori’s resignation as President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee

Following Yoshiro Mori’s resignation as President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, IPC President Andrew Parsons issued the following statement:

“I would like to thank Mr Mori for his seven years of service and leadership of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and wish him well for the future.

“Under Mori’s guidance, Tokyo 2020 was the best prepared Organising Committee the IPC has worked with. His team reacted strongly to the pandemic and the historic postponement of the Games last year and are now in a strong position to deliver safe and secure Games this summer. We look forward to working with his successor once appointed to continue the great partnership and co-operation we have enjoyed for many years now.

“In life, I’m a firm believer that out of all bad situations something good must come out of it. I sincerely hope that the domestic and international reaction over the last seven days can be harnessed so that society places greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion, not just in terms of gender representation, but race, sexuality, and persons with disabilities. This world is a wonderful and diverse place and it is important we embrace inclusion to get the best out of each and every one of us to benefit society as a whole.”

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It co-ordinates the organisation of the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for 10 sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC’s vision is to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the world.

MEN'S WATER POLO OLYMPIC GAMES QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT - Three Olympic berths left to grab in Rotterdam

 

The city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation will host the FINA Men's Water Polo Olympic Games Qualification Tournament from February 14-21, 2021, at the Zwemcentrum Rotterdam.

Twelve squads representing Brazil, Canada, Croatia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia and Turkey will compete next week, all hoping to secure one of the three remaining spots for the Men's Olympic Games Water Polo Tournament in Tokyo this summer.

The participating teams were selected through Continental Qualification Tournaments or Continental Championships.

The groups’ composition for Rotterdam splits as follows:

 

GROUP A: Georgia, Turkey, Canada, Brazil, Montenegro, Greece

 

GROUP B: Croatia, Netherlands, France, Russia, Germany, Romania

 

The competition's schedule unforld as follows:

DAY 1 - February 14

GAME #1 - 13:00: GEO v GRE

GAME #2 - 14:30: CAN v BRA

GAME #6 - 16:00 NED v GER

GAME #3 - 17:30 TUR v MNE

GAME #4 -  19:00 CRO v ROU

GAME #5 - 20:30 FRA v RUS

 

DAY 2 - February 15

GAME #7 - 13:00: ROU v RUS

GAME #8 - 14:30: GER v FRA

GAME #10 - 16:00: GRE v BRA

GAME #11 - 17:30: MNE v CAN

GAME #9 - 19:00: CRO v NED

GAME #12 - 20:30: GEO v TUR

 

DAY 3 - February 16

GAME #13 - 13:00: BRA v MNE

GAME #14 - 14:30: TUR v GRE

GAME #15 - 16:00: CAN v GEO

GAME #16 - 17:30: RUS v GER

GAME #17 - 19:00: NED v ROU

GAME #18 - 20:30 FRA v CRO

 

DAY 4 - February 17

GAME #19 - 13:00: ROU v GER

GAME #20 - 14:30: CRO v RUS

GAME #22 - 16:00: GRE v MNE

GAME #23 - 17:30: GEO v BRA

GAME #21 - 19:00: NED v FRA

GAME #24 - 20:30: TUR v CAN

 

DAY 5 - February 18

GAME #25 - 13:00: MNE v GEO

GAME #26 - 14:30: CAN v GRE

GAME #27 - 16:00: BRA v TUR

GAME #28 - 17:30: FRA v ROU

GAME #29 - 19:00: RUS v NED

GAME #30 - 20:30: CRO v GER

 

DAY 6 - February 19

GAME #31 - 14:00: 1A v 4B

GAME #32 - 16:00: 2A v 3B

GAME #33 - 18:00: A v 2B

GAME #34 - 20:00: 4A v 1B

 

DAY 7 - February 20

GAME #35 - 14:00: L31 v L33

GAME #37 - 16:00: L32 v L34

GAME #36 - 18:00: W31 v W33

GAME #38 - 20:00: W32 v W34

 

DAY 8 - February 21

GAME #39 - 10:00: L35 v L36

GAME #40 - 12:00: W35 v W 36

GAME #41 - 14:00: L37 v L38

GAME #42 - 16:00: W37 v W38

 

The three best teams (gold, silver, bronze medallists) will secure a berth for the Olympic Games and join the already qualified nine teams, namely: Serbia (FINA Water Polo World League 2019 winner), Italy and Spain (18th FINA World Championships winner and runner-up), USA (Pan American Games 2019), Australia (Oceania), Hungary (European Championships 2020), South Africa (Africa), Kazakhstan (Asia), Japan (host).

A total of 12 men teams will be competing in Tokyo.

The tournament in Rotterdam will be held under strict sanitary measures, implemented and monitored by FINA, so that the health and safety of all participants can be ensured.

All matches will be broadcast live on FINAtv and will also be available on replay, while the live scores will be displayed here. Daily news reports will be published on FINA website and photos / videos can be found on FINA social media channels.

FINA COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

Europeans will go ahead in Budapest this May at the 2021 European Aquatics Championships

In a letter sent recently, LEN President Paolo Barelli reassured all National Federations that “the European Aquatics Championships will be staged as planned this coming May 2021 in Budapest, on its original dates and with the already announced schedules in each discipline.”

The European Aquatics Championships, postponed from 2020, will be staged in Budapest on 10-23 May this year, this is the core part of the message LEN President Paolo Barelli sent to all National Federations recently.

“LEN is working hard with the Hungarian organisers to ensure that all required sanitary measures will be put in place, respected and fully enforced to guarantee the smooth running of the Championships and the safety of all athletes, coaches, officials and staff. This is indeed LEN’s priority” Mr Barelli said.

The president added that sporting events on the highest level had been staged across Europe and the world, so there were plenty of experience gained – also by LEN officials at the various water polo events held since November – and this makes it possible to go forward with organising LEN’s showcase event.

“The European Aquatics Championships in Budapest will be the first international European top event in swimming, diving, artistic swimming and open water swimming since 2019 and it offers a great testing opportunity for all our athletes before the Olympic Games” Mr Barelli said.

“As usual, we enjoy the full support of the Government” President of the Hungarian Swimming Association Sandor Wladar said. “The meeting of our strategic decision-making group has just finished. We have Sport Minister Tunde Szabo, State Secretary Balazs Furjes and Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony on board and they all agreed that the Europeans should go ahead but we have to take the utmost caution as the pandemic is far from over.”

One thing might be missed, however: the magical atmosphere in the Duna Arena, created by the local fans.

“We know that the aquatic family loves to come here as the sights and sounds in the Duna Arena are second to none when we have a full house – but this time we should consider safety first so most probably we have to stage this meet in front of empty stands” Sandor Wladar added.

The first week of the championships from 10-16 May is to see the diving and artistic swimming competitions in the Duna Arena and the open water swimming events in the nearby Lupa Lake, while swimming action is scheduled for 17-23 May in the arena.

11 February 2021