Tag Archives: swimming competition

‘One Year To Go’ Olympic Swimming Events Kick Off

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Within the last couple of weeks the new Aquatics Centre in London helped launch the `one year to go` celebrations until the Olympic Games visit the Capital City in 2012, giving the world of Swimming plenty to shout about in the last ten days or so.

OlympicSwimmingThe new facility in Stratford hosted its first competitive race, while many fans flocked to Hyde Park for the official 365 day countdown until the opening ceremony commences.

Lord Mayor Boris Johnson was among the guests, and he was joined by Prime Minister David Cameron, London 2012 organiser Sebastian Coe and Princess Anne to mark a one off celebration.

The new facility looks very impressive and thousands of fans will be travelling to the venue in July of next year to witness a series of disciplines which will, eventually, crown a number of new Olympic Champions.

As well as that the World Swimming Championships have come to an end which marks the last major event before the games. Shanghai in China was the venue for this one, but thankfully the Olympics will mean our fans won’t have to adjust their body clocks to watch the event, which will make a nice change!

Britain’s very own Rebecca Adlington (reigning Olympic 400 and 800m freestyle Champion) took yet another gold medal to boost her hopes ahead of the London games, and Liam Tancock also took a gold in the 50m backstroke.

With just 351 days to go (give or take a few hours!) until the first swimmers launch themselves from the starting blocks into the pool; it’s at this stage where the best competitors in the world begin to step up their preparations and dream of claiming the top prize in the sport.

Michael Phelps will be hoping to do the same after announcing his retirement from swimming after London with an unprecedented 14 Olympic gold medals already to his name, which will give British fans the privilege of sending him off in style.

British Swimming has a lot to be proud about at the moment, and we all hope our swimmers can replicate the successes of the World Championships and previous Olympics.

The support for them will be immense, and hopefully the welcome and reception they get will give them that extra energy needed to touch home in first place.

Those fortunate enough to have got tickets for the event will witness something truly special, but until that time the team here at Simply Swim will be keeping an eye on proceedings and wishing our swimmers the best of luck!

What Is FINA?

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There are all these regulations and costumes saying FINA approved, but what is FINA?

FINA is the international governing body of swimming, water polo, synchronised swimming and open water swimming and stands for Federation Internationale de Natation – International Federation of Swimming. The body meets every 2 years and run the major swimming event The World Championships.

FINAFINA began on July 19th 1908 in the Manchester Hotel in London at the end of the 1908 Summer Olympics. It was founded by the Belgian, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, British and Swedish swimming federations. There are recognised governing bodies in each country that carry out the FINA regulations and ensure the country follows them. The British Governing Body is British Swimming.

FINA’s main objectives are:

  1. To promote and encourage the development of swimming throughout the world
  2. To promote and encourage the development of international relations
  3. To adopt necessary uniform rules and regulations to hold competitions
  4. To organise the World Championships and FINA events
  5. To increase the number of facilities for swimming throughout the world

To find out more about FINA, visit http://www.fina.org/

To find out more about British Swimming, visit http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/

We sell a range of swimwear which is approved by FINA. Check out our FINA Approved Swimwear for Women. Or FINA Approved Swimwear For Men.

Wounded service personnel in relay swim around Jersey

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MapJerseyBattle Back, the UK military initiative set up to rehabilitate British soldiers injured in active service, is to join forces with the British Army Open-Water Swimming Squad in a 41 mile relay swim around Jersey.

The swimmers will be up against the Jersey Long-Distance Swimming Club and money raised from the relay will go to Holidays for Heroes Jersey, which provides  breaks  for wounded service personnel who have been injured mentally or physically whilst on active duty. It gives the soldiers and their families a free week away.

Battle Back, set up in 2008 at Headley Court, gives wounded service personnel the opportunity to engage in adaptive physical activities with others who are experiencing similar injuries, providing them with the sense that their disabilities need not mark the end of physical challenges. The focus is very much on what can be done as opposed to what can’t, which can drastically improve a wounded soldier’s confidence as they engage in active life once again.

Battle BackWounded service personnel can participate in a range of physical activities including water skiing, ski training, diving and kayaking.

Battle Back also works closely with the British Paralympic Team to encourage those who show a particular talent for a certain sport to join their Paralympic Development programmes.

The Battle Back relay around Jersey will take place on 18th July 2011

Holidays for Heroes Jersey http://www.h4hjersey.org.je/

London 2012-Swimming Hopefuls

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It’s difficult to believe that we’re now just a little under 18 months away from the opening ceremony at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where thousands of athletes will come together to compete for arguably the most coveted prize in sport- a gold medal.

Olympic-SwimmersMany experts are hoping that the games will inspire people in the UK to take up some sort of physical exercise and with it reduce the number of people who are overweight or clinically obese.  Legacy has been the word used on several occasions to highlight the fact the aftermath of the event is just as important as what happens during it, and the government want the stadia and facilities built to produce the next generation of sporting superstars, or just encourage others to stop watching and start doing.

One of the sports that will undoubtedly be given a huge boost is swimming. There are several British hopefuls for the games and not only is it popular but its also a fantastic way of losing weight and staying fit. It stretches all the muscles and tests your overall physical endurance and stamina.

Many coaches across the UK have been dealt the responsibility of trying to create a name which may triumph in the pool next July, and one man in particular believes some of his students will progress enough to be included in Great Britain’s squad.

Stuart Clamp at Swim Flintshire believes at least two of his former apprentices have got what it takes to qualify for the games next summer, with a few of his current crop not far behind in terms of progress. Stuart is the elite performance training scheme head coach and doesn’t think his swimmers are just flashes in the pan. He believes they can take the sport by the horns and be successful for many years to come. His former students include Tom Allen and Lucy Worrall who now apply their trade in Swansea and Stockport respectively.

He said: “I coached Tom for seven years in both Chester and Flintshire. He won the European juniors which is a good precursor to competing in open water events all over the world.

“He then won the Great North Swim and was described as one of the most exciting swimmers Britain has seen. He needs to keep going and qualify for the World Championships this year.

“Lucy is now on the edge of making the England Commonwealth relay team. It will be an important year for her. The selection policy in swimming is different to other sports and there are some early selections and some late ones, but we’re hoping that they will both be on the team for the Olympics.”

He added: “We have some other younger swimmers who are not quite at their level who will be looking to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

“They are also on the long list for the World Youth Games so the future looks bright.”

Hopefully the future also looks bright for the sport itself with many Brits having been successful at the Commonwealth Games recently, and hopefully this will inspire others to get involved and test their physical fitness in the pool.

Open Water Swimming Competitions

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Nowadays, swimming competitions aren’t all about indoor pool meets. Competitive outdoor swimming has taken the country by storm over the last few years.

Open water swimming popularised after a 10 kilometre race was listed by the International Olympic   committee as one of the events for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

Open Water Swimming events can take place in any outdoor water, whether that’s in the sea, rivers, canals, lakes or reservoirs. The distances that can be swum vary from location to location and you should choose the race that best suits your ability.

Swimming in open water isn’t just a sport that has developed over the last few years; it has history as far back as 36BC, when the Japanese organised the first races in open water. In Roman times, high-profile races were held in the Tiber, where thousands of people would gather in crowds along the banks to spectate. In the middle ages, Knights reputedly had to swim in full armour as one of their seven required agilities.

open-water-swimmingIn 1986, FINA, swimmings world governing body, officially added open water swimming to the international competition calendar.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics saw the début in outdoor swimming where Great Britain won a brilliant three out of the six medals that were up for grabs. Two silvers went to Keri-Anne Payne and David Davies while a bronze went to Cassie Patten. Since the event which inspired swimmers all over the world, the uptake in Open Water Swimming has rocketed.

Outdoor Swimming Competitions in the UK have become ever so popular and more and more events are being formed across the country. The races offer competent swimmers of all abilities to compete.

To find out about all the upcoming outdoor swimming events in the UK for 2011 click here.

Royal Windsor Open Water River Swim

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The first ever Royal Windsor Open Water Swim took place in September last year and it was such a hit that the swim will take place in the main part of the season in June this year.

WindsorThis beautiful historic town, famous for Windsor Castle and many other sporting events is the perfect setting for this open water swim.

The swim races will take place on 5th June 2011 and the tickets to enter cost £25. There are three different distances you can take part in, the 950m, 1.9km and 3.8km. The closing date for entries is on the day, but we would advise early booking to avoid disappointment.

Zoggs are also offering a chance to win tickets to the event on their Facebook page, check out how you could win here.

Located on the Banks of the River Thames, the Royal River Swim is set to be a premier open water swimming event of the sporting calendar.

The event winds itself upstream with the slight drag from the current, just past the motorway underpass. A short distance away they will then hit the large swim buoy where competitors swim back towards the start/finish area with the current.

Event organisers would like to note that this event is for competent swimmers who have swum in open water before the event.
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For further details and to book your ticket, visit F3 Events.

Cold Water Swimming Contest Planned

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A cold-water swimming contest is calling on people brave enough to participate in the feat to register.

The 5th UK Cold Water Swimming Championship, organised by South London Swimming Club (SLSC), includes 30m freestyle and “head up” breaststroke dashes and relays, and a 450m endurance challenge.

coldwater-swimmingThe championship, which raises money for charities of the competitors’ choice, is scheduled to take place on January 22, 2011, at Tooting Bec Lido in south London.

The event will also host the ‘best hat of the day competition’ for the most ridiculous headgear.

Event organiser Margy Sullivan, 54, who has been cold-water swimming for 22 years, said water temperatures can range between -1C to 7C.

Ms Sullivan added: “It is tremendous fun and there is real camaraderie surrounding the event. Everyone wants each other to do well.”

The event began after a team from the club participated in the ice-swimming championship in Finland in 2005, which helped make the practice more popular.

She said: “It brought cold water swimming into the open, it’s something we used to do a bit in secret, but now we all boast about it. It’s a really great thing to do and a bit off the wall.”

Safety Fears Cause Great North Swim to be Cancelled

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The Great North Swim for held in Cumbria has been forced to cancel the event after blue-green algae which could be dangerous was found in the water.

The algae which can cause skin rashes and sickness was found by the Environment Agency in Windermere.

great-north-swim-cumbriaThe charity swim which was due to take place over the weekend had almost 9,000 participants.

Nova International (the event organisers), plan to reschedule the swimming race for later in the year.

Nova International have said that safety for participants was their top priority. A spokesman said: “We’re looking at new 2010 dates at the moment and will notify you by email.”
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“We understand that postponing the event will affect a lot of people, but the safety of all swimmers is our priority.”

Competitors have the choice of taking part in the event when a new date is decided, gain entry into next years Great North Swim or they can have a full refund on their entry fee.

The Cumbrian swim which is now in its third year, raises money for charity and helps to boost the local economy.

Last year 6,000 swimmers took part in the one-mile, open water swimming event and an estimated 20,000 people went along to watch and support the swimmers.

British Disability Swimming Team Take 13 Gold Medals from the IPC Swimming World Championships

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ipsThe British Disability Swimming Team bagged themselves 13 gold medals after four days of competing in Eindhoven at the IPC Swimming World Championships.

Eleanor Simmonds, double Paralympic champion took her third world title on the fourth day of the competition last week in the women’s SM6 200m Individual Medley. At the 100m point Simmonds was laying in sixth place and knew she had to stay with the leaders of the pack if she had any chance of winning the race.

eleanor-simmondsAs Simmonds entered the breaststroke leg of the race, she used her skill to gain third place and in the last 50 metres she powered through, impressing the spectators with her speed.

She finished the race in 3:09.24, shedding two seconds off the world record. Simmonds said “ It was such a hard race. I am really happy to be on top of the podium again. I went into it thinking I was going to need a world record to win and to do that is great.”

Second place went to Germany’s Verena Schott in 3:10.96 and third place to Britain’s Natalie Jones who touched home in 3:11.12.

Multi Paralympic Champion Sascha Kindered took to his main event with great confidence after having the fastest qualifying time for the SM6 200m Individual Medley. He began the race with a strong Butterfly and got ahead of Yuanrun Yang of China at the 25 metre mark. Sascha kept his calm throughout the race and his experience kept him in a good position to break his own world record.

Kindered finished the race in 2:42.18 to claim gold and to lower the world record. Kindered said: “I wanted that record. It was a good race and I’, happy to have got in and come away with the gold medal and the record.”

Following Kindered was Yang who touched in at 2:47.48 and Ukrainian Iaroslay Semenenko took bronze in 2:53.20.

In other races, Jonathan Fox claimed his first championship victory in the men’s S7 100m Backstroke, Daniel Pepper took gold in the men’s final of the S14 100m Breaststroke and Stephanie Millward bagged her third medal of the event after winning silver in the women’s S9 400m Freestyle.

Elsewhere, Jonathan Fox took his first championship gold in the men’s S7 100m Backstroke, Daniel Pepper won the final of the men’s S14 100m Breaststroke, and Stephanie Millward took her third medal of the competition after winning silver in the women’s S9 400m Freestyle.