(ATR) FINA president Julio Maglione tells Around the Rings the swimming world championships in Kazan will have more events, federations participating and days of opening ceremonies than ever before.
"Kazan really gave a big support for the championship and President Putin directly worked very much with his involvement in the success of the world championship. There will be many innovations in the world championships," Maglione tells ATR.
Maglione says 180 national federations will compete in the Kazan championships, setting a new record for participation at the event.
"We are including in the world championships mixed duets in [synchronized swimming] and mixed duets in diving," he tells ATR. This is the first time these events will be on the world championship program.
Keeping in line with the Agenda 2020 reforms by the IOC and the added emphasize on sustainability of sports events, Maglione says the FINA championships will take place in existing venues that are being repurposed for the championships.
"The swimming pool for swimming is in the stadium that will be in one of the stadiums of the next world championships of FIFA. It’s a beautiful stadium, and it will be a big exhibition," Maglione says.
"The other swimming pool was used for the University Games and is a covered pool that is spectacular with all of the facilities," he continued.
The opening ceremony of the championships will take place in an indoor 15,000-seat stadium, according to Maglione. However, the ceremony will be shown every day for a week with the exception of the speeches given by Maglione and Putin that will occur in the first showing.
"We will repeat seven times to give the opportunity for all of the people of Kazan to see, a complete week," Maglione tells ATR. This is also a first for the swimming championships.
The focus on sustainability continues with the repurposing of university housing into the athlete village.
"They will use the villas of one of the universities [in Kazan]. It is really beautiful and nice. They are recycling all, new beds, many things that will give a big comfort for all of the people who will be in the FINA village," Maglione says.
Another innovation for FINA will be the masters championship taking place in conjunction with the world championships. In previous years, the masters championship took place in the year between the world championships.
The masters event is for athletes who are 25 years or older and features all five of the FINA disciplines. The event begins August 5, four days before the end of the world championships. Maglione says this will give the masters athletes the opportunity to see the world championships.
"We will have around 5,000 athletes at the masters championship and maybe many of them will come to watch the world championship because [the masters championship] is immediately after the world championship."
The FINA world championships begin Friday, July 24 and conclude August 9.
Written by Kevin Nutleyin Toronto
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