In these unprecedented times and adjusting to the swimming pool access restrictions around the world, FINA and its Technical Artistic Swimming Committee (TASC) have developed an innovative concept for a virtual challenge in the discipline.

Coaches and experts of the discipline have created The Artistic Swimming Virtual Challenge which consist of a 45min dryland routine to be performed by the athletes entering the competition across to globe in two events – solo and mixed duet. The virtual routines have been put together by artistic swimming stars Bill May (USA) and Andrea Fuentes (ESP).

 

Andrea Fuentes and Ona Carbonell (ESP) at the London 2012 Olympic Games ©Getty Images

Participating athletes have taken part in the competition remotely by filming their routines on December 4, 5 and 6 and sent their respective footage across to the judges that have marked them over the weekend.

The Challenge will be broadcast on our Facebook Page and Youtube Channel on December 19 & 20 when the final marks will be announced to the athletes as well as the online viewers.

The particularity of this challenge is that the routines will be performed on land and filmed using an Instagram water effect app that gives the illusion of athletes swimming in the water.

 

Bill May and partner Kristina Lum-Underwood (USA) at FINA World Championships in Kazan 2015 ©Getty Images

The goal of this brand new concept is to provide a unique opportunity for the community to engage in a fun challenge that can be joined from anywhere and to continue to offer options for the athletes to perform ahead of the FINA Artistic Swimming Olympic Games Qualification Tournament 2021 from March 4-7 and the Tokyo Olympic Games in July 2021.

More details can be found here

 

Andrea Fuentes ©Getty Images