Swiss Aquatics Schweizermeisterschaften Artistic Swimming mit einer Premiere

 

Am 6./7. April finden in Sursee die Schweizermeisterschaften im Artistic Swimming mit einer Premiere statt. Mit Nationalkaderathlet Francesco Cosentino nimmt erstmals ein männlicher Athlet an einer Elite-Schweizermeisterschaft teil.

Es wird erstmals in der Schweizer Artistic Swimming Geschichte einen Start in der Disziplin Mixed-Duett an den Schweizermeisterschaft geben. Der Nationalkaderathlet Francesco Cosentino wird mit seiner Duettpartnerin Santoro Elisabetta sowie Reserve Blaser Nélia antreten. Zudem wird Cosentino im Solo Free starten.

Insgesamt werden 14 Schweizer Vereine an den Start gehen. Als Gast mit dabei sein wird das tschechische Nationalteam, welches ausser Konkurrenz starten wird.

Diese Schweizermeisterschaft unter der Leitung von World Aquatics Schiedsrichterin Deborah Jütz wird nun zum zweiten Mal unter dem neuen Richtersystem durchgeführt. Der Weltverband World Aquatics hat am 7. März noch Anpassungen dieses Systems publiziert, welche bereits für diese SM implementiert wurden. Die Vorbereitungen erforderten dementsprechend viel Flexibilität der Vereine, Trainer:innen und Athlet:innen.

Besonders intensiv laufen auch die Vorbereitungen der Athletinnen, die sich als Nationale Soli und Duette selektionieren möchten. Die Schweizermeisterschaft gilt als erster Selektionswettkampf. Die selektionierten Soli und Duette der Jugend- und Juniorenkader werden die Schweiz in der laufenden Saison an den Jugend- und Junioreneuropameisterschaften vertreten.

photo by patrick b. krämer

Swiss Aquatics Championnats suisses de natation artistique avec une première

Les 6 et 7 avril, les championnats suisses de natation artistique se dérouleront à Sursee avec une première. Avec l'athlète du cadre national Francesco Cosentino, c'est la première fois qu'un athlète masculin participe à un championnat suisse d'élite.

Pour la première fois dans l'histoire de la natation artistique suisse, il y aura une participation dans la discipline du duo mixte aux championnats suisses. L'athlète du cadre national Francesco Cosentino concourra avec sa partenaire de duo Santoro Elisabetta ainsi que la réserve Blaser Nélia. En outre, Cosentino participera au solo free.

Au total, 14 clubs suisses seront au départ. L'équipe nationale tchèque, qui participera hors compétition, sera également de la partie.

Ce championnat suisse, placé sous la direction de l'arbitre de World Aquatics Deborah Jütz, est organisé pour la deuxième fois sous le nouveau système de juges. La fédération mondiale World Aquatics a toutefois publié le 7 mars des adaptations de ce système, qui ont encore été mises en œuvre pour ce championnat. Les préparations ont donc nécessité beaucoup de flexibilité de la part des clubs, des entraîneurs et des athlètes.

Les athlètes qui souhaitent se sélectionner en tant que solistes et duos nationaux se préparent de manière particulièrement intensive. Les championnats suisses sont la première compétition de sélection. Les solos et duos sélectionnés dans les cadres jeunesse et juniors représenteront la Suisse aux champion

nats d'Europe jeunesse et juniors de la saison en cours.

Photo: J. Cieslikowscy

World Triathlon Stellar line up for the first-ever indoor World Cup in Lievin

 

The World Cup action travels this weekend to the north of France for the much awaited debut of Lievin in the World Triathlon circuit, with a fast and furious format that is set to delight athletes and spectators alike. get ready for the first-ever indoor World Cup, and there are some major names ready to go all-out in this brutal format.  Among the stars set to race indoors are Vincent Luis - winner here in 2022 - Georgia Taylor-Brown, Tim Hellwig, Gwen Jorgensen, Csongor Lehmann, Leonie Periault and Vetle Thorn all in the mix! Saturday is going to be jam-packed action, and you can watch the semi-finals and finals live on TriathlonLive.tv:

The format is simple: build a 25m pool inside an indoor track, and have the athletes swimming, biking in the outer lanes of the track and running on the inner lanes. Pack the venue with 2.500 spectators. Add live music, impressive sports presentations and…. voilà! You have all the ingredients for a perfect triathlon spectacle.

12 athletes line up on each race -6 heats for the men, 4 for the women, two repechages each, followed by three semi-finals for each gender and then the B final and A finals-. A 150m swim - 6 lengths of the pool with two athletes to a lane - is followed by a 15-lap, 3km bike and out onto the 5-lap, 1km run, with heats and repechage to decide the 36 athletes into three semi-finals per gender, the top four of each semi-final progressing into the final, the next four on the finish line of each semi-final into a B-final.

On the men’s race, top 4 on each of the six Qualifiers will make it straight to the semi-finals, with the rest going to the repechages. On the women’s race, the top six of each Qualifier will make it to the semi-finals, with the rest battling for the last spots on the two repechages scheduled.

 

Men’s line-up

It will be Germany’s top ranked athlete, Tim Hellwig, wearing the one in Lievin, and therefore has been placed on the first Qualifier, along with some other fast runners like Spain’s Genis Grau or France’s Paul Georgenthum. Grau is one to keep an eye on on this format. He finished in second place here in 2022, just behind Vincent Luis, and is known for his quick transitions and fast legs, which will definitely be an asset in Lievin.

The second Qualifier might be slightly easier for Csongor Lehmann (HUN), while the third one will see some athletes known to be fast and experienced in this fast and furious races like Sylvain Fridelance (SUI), Vetle Bergsvik Thorn (NOR), and Harry Leleu (GBR), who will be looking forward avoiding the repechages and saving legs for the last stages of the competition.

The fourth Qualifier will be one for the ages, with the likes of Hugo Milner (GBR), Casper Stornes (NOR), Esteban Basanta Fouz (ESP) and Sachar Sagiv (ISR) willing to prove that this format suits them great. After his incredible run last week in Quarteira -29.32, outrunning the likes of Vincent Luis-, Milner is ready to prove that he is not only a fast runner, but also one to be considered when it comes to super-sprint formats, similar distances as on a Mixed Relay.

On Qualifier 5, Samuel Dickinson (GBR) and Yanis Seguin (FRA) will be battling for the direct semi-final spots, with the Brit also wanting to show his skills on this format. But the eyes of the local crowd will be indeed fixed on the last Qualifier, with two-times World Champion Vincent Luis toeing the start line. The Frenchman returned to competition after an injury last weekend in Quarteira, where he proved to be in good form for Olympic distance races, but the Lievin format is one he also likes, having won here in the European Cup in 2022.

 

Women’s line-up

With only 40 women on the start list, the field has been divided into four Qualifier races, with the top six making it straight to the semi-finals and the rest of the athletes having one more chance on the repechage. USA’s Taylor Spivey was meant to wear the one on Lievin, but she had to pull out of the race due to sickness last minute, leaving Great Britain’s Georgia Taylor-Brown to lead the field. The Brit will not have an easy first round, with Gina Sereno (USA), the current Arena Games World Champion, and Leonie Periault (FRA) also on the second Qualifier, along with uber swimmer Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer (HUN) and Zuzana Michalickova (SVK), one of the Team World Triathlon athletes that is trying to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The first Qualifier will see some of the strongest athletes, with Jolien Vermeylen (BEL) ready to prove how fast her legs are, to continue to chase her Olympic dream. She will face two of the stronger French athletes, Sandra Dodet and Audrey Merle, both of them with previous podiums here in Lievin and also with multiple World Cup podiums on their careers.

Laura Lindemann (GER) will be leading the third qualifier, another race that is stacked, with Rio 2016 champion Gwen Jorgensen giving it a try to the fast and thrilling format, alongside with Rio 2016 bronze medallist Vicky Holland (GBR), also back to competition after having a child. Selina Klamt (GER) and Margaux Garabedian (CAM) should be included on the ones to watch on this race.

The last Qualifier will see three German athletes that have a great experience in the super-sprint format: Marlene Gomez-Goggle, Lena Meißner and Anabel Knoll, alongside with Cathia Schär (SUI) and Jessica Fullagar (GBR).

The Lievin Indoor World Cup will take place on Saturday, March 30, with the first Qualifier starting at 12.30. Semi-finals and finals will be avalable LIVE on TriathlonLIVE.tv from 19h local time. Check all the start lists HERE. https://www.google.com/url?q=https://triathlon.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D00aa527d930b75ed31d447d44%26id%3D7510ac320b%26e%3D6139649918&source=gmail&ust=1711788232439000&usg=AOvVaw1eCZ7X6xKk_n1MT5a4L8Cq

Portugal will be home of ECA Ocean Racing European Championships in 2024

 

In exactly one month the 2024 ECA European Championships season will kick off with the opening ceremony of the 2024 ECA Ocean Racing European Championships in Portugal. Azores will host the championships of the Old Continent between 11th and 14th April. This will be the introduction to ocean racing year in Portugal, as this country will in October also organise the World Championships in Madeira. Before the season starts we talked with Vitor Felix, president of the Portuguese Canoe Federation.

This year you are hosting the two biggest ocean racing competitions - European and World Championships. This has to be a big challenge?

Vitor Felix: “For sure Portugal will be the capital of Ocean Racing in 2024! We are used to hosting major international competitions and we like a good challenge concerning our sport. Since 2009 we have organised several international events in every canoeing discipline, so we have a lot of experience and together with our local partners in Azores and Madeira, with no doubt we will organise the best European and World championships ever.”

Your federation is considered one the strongest and the most successful in the world of canoeing. Does this bring even more responsibility in organising top-level events?

Vitor Felix: “In my opinion Portuguese Canoeing nowadays has two brands, at national level we are a sport reference due to the international results of our athletes, and at an international level we are a reference in hosting top-level events. So these two things give us an enormous responsibility and people are always expecting more from us, so we always prepare the best conditions to make each event we host a big success.”

Your championships are always very well organised. What can we expect of the 2024 ECA Ocean Racing European Championships?

Vitor Felix: “Azores have very good conditions at the sea for Ocean Racing fans, our local partners have a lot of experience organising regional and national competitions, mainly at security level, very important in these competitions, and they are very eager to host and welcome people from other countries to know their island. For sure these are the main ingredients for a big event!”

Portugal organised the first ever ECA Ocean Racing European Championships in 2014. Now, 10 years later, the best European paddlers are returning to Portugal. How have things changed and improved since then?

Vitor Felix: “So, we have an enormous responsibility in European ocean racing events. Since then Ocean Racing has increased a lot, has more participants, discipline became part of the multisport events, such as Beach Games, therefore the European federations give more importance and attention to this discipline. This is a discipline that can attract easily the athletes and it is a big promotion for our sport.”

What could you say about the status of Ocean Racing in Portugal? Is it very popular, how many people are involved with this discipline?

Vitor Felix: “The ocean is in our blood and makes part of our history. We have 800 kilometres of Atlantic Coast plus the islands of Azores and Madeira, so we have very good conditions for Ocean Racing. Our national championships usually has 4 or 5 competitions, with about 250 participants. On 9th March, we had our first national championship in 2024, with 250 athletes in junior, senior and masters categories, and this year we introduced the kids level, with a smaller course near the coast, and we already have about 180 young athletes.”

You have many places in Portugal, this time you chose Azores to host the European Championships. How was the decision for this location born?

Vitor Felix: “That was an easy decision, like was the one for the Worlds in Madeira. Azores increased a lot in canoeing in recent years, with more athletes and more regional competitions, so we thought that it was fair to give them our highest trust to organise this European Championships. Every young athlete in Azores starts in sport at the ocean and it stays in his blood forever. In our opinion we will organise the best European Championships ever.”

Not only in an organisational sense, you probably expect a lot from this Championships in terms of great results as well? Your athletes will be among the main candidates for medals and top positions?

Vitor Felix: “In recent years, Bernardo Pereira from Madeira is frequently on the podium of junior and U23 events at international competitions, so we expect that at home he will make history in this discipline. But we also expect some good results in other categories; in the junior category we have some athletes that can be a surprise. It would be the cherry on the top of the cake, to have good results and the best organisation.”

Bahrain set to host the World Aquatics High Diving World Cup for the first time

 

The competition will take place in the Kingdom from 21 to 22 September 2024

World Aquatics today announced that Bahrain will host the first stop of the highly anticipated High Diving World Cup 2024, to take place from 21 to 22 September. It will mark the first time a high diving competition and a World Aquatics event will have been held in the Kingdom.

Supported by GFH Financial Group, one of the most recognised financial groups in the Gulf region, 50 of the world’s best male and female high divers will meet in what promises to be a great showcase for this spectacular aquatics sport.

Bahrain offers a rich cultural heritage and warm hospitality, all among a beautiful coastline and iconic architecture. Plans for the event notably draw from this coastal identity. The competition will be held in Manama, with the diving platforms rising 27 metres high against the city’s stunning skyline. Fans and stakeholders alike are promised an unforgettable experience at every turn.

Adding to the stakes for the competition, it has been confirmed that the stop in Bahrain will serve as a qualification tournament for the World Aquatics Championships - Singapore 2025.

World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam expressed his excitement over the plans for the event and also the long-term aquatics agenda in Bahrain: “World Aquatics is thrilled to be bringing high divers to Bahrain for the first time, building on the recent establishment of the World Aquatics centre of excellence at the University of Technology Bahrain. The future for aquatics sport in Bahrain looks very bright and is clearly set to have a global impact."

He added; “I extend a heartfelt thank you to the Bahrain Olympic Committee, the GFH Financial Group (GFH) and the Bahrain Swimming Federation for their continued commitment to the development of aquatics sports. Through their visionary initiatives, they have played a pivotal role in promoting the growth of aquatics disciplines in the region and fostering a culture of excellence”.

Canadian high diver, Molly Carlson said; “I am so excited to be competing in Bahrain for the High Diving World Cup and to have this date and place to look forward to. Each competition brings its own unique energy and atmosphere. We always love to compete in, and experience, new places and then share those things with our fans. With this being the first stop in the competition this year, the anticipation will be high too!”

Aidan Heslop, British high diver who was recently crowned men’s high dive champion said; “After the success of the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024, I can’t wait to get back to that part of the world. It’s a great place to compete in and it will be all the more special for sharing the experience among this community of athletes that I’ve really come to appreciate.”

 

About World Aquatics:

Driven by the vision of a world united by water for health, life and sport, World Aquatics is the international governing body for aquatic sports. Founded in 1908, World Aquatics is an independent organisation formed of 210 National Member Federations and five Continental Associations.

World Aquatics oversees six aquatic sports – swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving – and is recognised as the leading global authority of these sports by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

 

About GFH Financial Group B.S.C.:

GFH Financial Group is one of the most recognised financial groups in the Gulf region. Its businesses include Investment Management, Commercial Banking and Treasury & Proprietary Investments, with assets and funds under management exceeding US$19 billion dollars. The Group’s operations are principally focused across the GCC, North Africa and India, along with strategic investment in the U.S., Europe and the U.K. GFH is listed in Bahrain Bourse, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Boursa Kuwait and Dubai Financial Market. For more information, please visit www.gfh.com.

Tusindvis af frivillige uddanner sig hos SvømDanmark

Op imod 2.000 frivillige deltog forrige år på en af vores uddannelser, hvor vi oplevede stigende efterspørgsel efter livredning- og førstehjælpskurser.

Af: Klaus Bach Christensen, kommunikationskonsulent

3.340. Så mange gennemførte i 2023 en af SvømDanmarks uddannelser. 1.794 af de uddannede er frivillige officials, og de udgør næsten halvdelen (46,29 procent) af det samlede antal.

”Engagementet fra vores frivillige er ganske enkelt imponerende, og deres lyst til at støtte atleterne og dansk svømmesport i almindelighed er beundringsværdigt,” siger Christina Borring, der er teamleder for SvømDanmarks kursus- og uddannelsesafdeling. 

De frivilliges store lyst til at dygtiggøre sig og gøre karriere som official stiller, ifølge teamlederen, krav til teamet og hende selv om løbende at evaluere uddannelsernes form og indhold samt gøre det så let som overhovedet muligt for medlemsklubberne at finde relevante kurser til deres officials.

Det resulterede i, at teamet - med stor hjælp fra en række frivillige - tilbage i oktober offentliggjorde Officialgrunduddannelsen, som gør det muligt for officials at uddanne sig inden for rollerne som tidtager, bane-, vende- og måldommer på én gang. 

”Vi har gjort uddannelsesstrukturen og udbuddet af kurser mere tydelig, lige som vi er i dialog med klubberne med henblik på at planlægge kurser fremadrettet. Det virker til at have bidraget til at fastholde de frivillige, som tager flere officialuddannelser. F.eks. uddannede vi væsentligt flere startere, ledende tidtagere og måldommere samt stævnesekretærer forrige år, end vi gjorde i 2022,” forklarer Christina Borring.

Stigende interesse for livredning og førstehjælp

For at sikre et Danmark, hvor alle trygt svømmer og bevæger sig ved og i vand, samarbejder SvømDanmark med en række aktører på livredningsområdet, og her oplevede uddannelsesafdelingen i 2023 en stigende efterspørgsel.

Uddannelsestilbud inden for livredning og førstehjælp udgjorde i fjor 27,22 procent af de i alt 180 afholdte kurser. I 2022 gjaldt det 21,16 procent.

”Det er tydeligt, at flere og flere bliver opmærksomme på at få deres medarbejdere uddannet inden for området. Det gælder både klubber, kommuner, skoler og private, som ønsker at sikre, at de har de rette kompetencer og et internationalt certificeret bevis herpå. Det er vi er den eneste instans i Danmark, der kan udstede, som følge af vores medlemskab hos den internationale livredningsorganisation, ILS,” siger Hjalte Borum, der er uddannelseskonsulent inden for livredning i SvømDanmark og uddyber:

“Vi oplever en stigende forespørgsel, og vi kan samtidig se, at de livredderdommere, der er certificeret af SvømDanmark, er særdeles aktive. Det er meget positivt, for det er alt andet lige med til at udbrede kendskabet til livredning og førstehjælp.”

I 2023 uddannede SvømDanmark i samarbejde med sine certificerede livredderdommere 921 inden for livredning i bassin og ved åbent vand, hvilket er en stigning på 17,47 procent fra forrige år.

Årets uddannelser er i fuld gang

Flere end 200 er allerede begyndt eller har gennemført en af SvømDanmarks uddannelser i løbet af kalenderårets to første måneder. Skulle du have spørgsmål til vores mange uddannelsesmuligheder, så tøv ikke med at kontakte uddannelses- og kursusafdelingen på mail: kursus@svoem.dk