Just days before the 2018 season comes to an end, the Lausanne Swim Cup officially got underway in the Olympic Capital for a two-day event, from December 20-12, which welcomes some of the world’s best swimmers as well as new comers in the sport.
Lausanne Natation Club President and Lausanne Swim Cup Organising Committee President Nicolas Balthasar welcomed the press and the local media who attended the press conference on December 19 at the Atlantis hotel in the north of Lausanne.
Swimming aces Charlotte Bonnet of France, Jeremy Desplanches (SUI) and Yusra Mardini (SYR), as well as Israel Head coach Luka Gabrilo and Katinka Hosszu’s coach Arpad Petrov were sat at the top table today to talk about their objectives for the event as well as their impression of the year 2018.
After dedicating this third edition of the Swim Cup to the late Christophe Debize, Lausanne Natation Technical Director and his partner in the launch of this competition, President Balthasar said:
“The Lausanne Swim Cup is the most important swimming competition in Switzerland but it is also starting to make its own space on the international calendar. It has become the largest swimming competition ever organised in Switzerland and it will be held in a festive mood to celebrate the end of the year.
“In addition to great races and elite performances, a true sound and light show is awaiting the athletes and the numerous spectators, which will include hundreds of school kids from the surroundings.”
After a successful FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) that just concluded in Hangzhou, China, 230 worldwide and national swimmers will be taking part in this competition in Lausanne (SUI) with the ambition to swim very fast.
Balthasar added: “We have put together a different frame for this event, in order to thank the athletes for their continuous effort and outstanding performances throughout the year, as a gift for the season closing. We hope that they will enjoy the event and will want to come back in the future.
“It is wonderful and very motivating to welcome them all in our city!”
The President then reviewed the various projects the Lausanne Natation Club has been undertaking in 2018. He mentioned a programme developed to create awareness around the risks of drowning for kids, especially tailored to a city that sits on the bank of the Leman Lake. The Club also organises regular signing ceremonies with the athletes for them to share their experience, successes and failures, and their life as elite sportsmen and women with the children.
Furthermore the Lausanne Natation Club helps every year two charities active in the world of sport. The Club hosts auctions where they sell swimming equipment that used to belong to athletes to collect funds for the charities.
The Lausanne Natation Club has also welcomed a young swimmer from Afghanistan in their pool. The swimmer, who took part in the FINA World Championships 2017 in Budapest, knocked on the Club’s door as he was looking for a place to train and prepare for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Finally, Mr Balthasar thank the multiple partners of the Swim Cup including FINA, supporting the event for the third consecutive year.