Organized under the auspices of the CMAS (world confederation of underwater activities) and the FFESSM (French federation for underwater studies and sports), the junior world championships of finswimming, dubbed the « Formula 1 of swimming! » will take place in Annemasse both in the lake and in the pool from July 4 to 11. 32 nations will present 300 junior athletes, aged 14 to 17 years.But what is finswimming?Created within the FFESSM in 1962, finswimming was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1985 and holds a ministerial status of « high level. » Finswimmers evolve on or under the water in natural or pool environments like dolphins, using only their muscle strength. Moreover, thanks to their monofin or dual fins made of composite material, these high-level athletes can reach speeds of up to 14 km/h!The 4 different finswimming events:
– Long distance : in natural environments (lake, river, sea), mainly with a monofin. Swimmers compete over 6000 meters and in a mixed relay of 4×2000 meters.
– Surface : the swimmer, equipped with a monofin and a front snorkel, competes in a pool and at the water surface in events ranging from sprints (50 meters) to middle-distance (up to 1500 meters). The most spectacular events are always the 4×100 and 4×200 relays.
– Immersion : underwater and in a pool, this event takes place either in sprint apnea over 50 meters or with the aid of a small compressed air tank over 100 and 400 meters. It is in immersion that the fastest speeds are achieved.
– Bi-fins : like the surface, specific bi-fins events are swum in a pool and with a front snorkel over 50, 100 and 200 meters.
The highlights of the world championships The competition week will be split into two parts: first, pool events held at the Château Bleu aquatic center from July 6 to 9. Then, July 9 and 10 will be dedicated to « long-distance » events in Lake Machilly, about ten kilometers from Annemasse.
Follow the competition live: http://wcj-finswimming2016.com/
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