Tomorrow the 2nd FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2008 commence in Monterrey (MEX) with the participation of 588 young stars from 69 countries. This is a marked increase from the attendees at the first edition of the championships (held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - August, 2006), where 480 athletes from 61 countries took part.
Competition will run for six days from July 8-13. The event, which is organised by the Mexican Swimming Federation and the Government of Nuevo Leon, will be held at the brand new Aquatic Center (50m) at the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon. Competitors are between 14-17 years of age for girls, and between 15-18 years of age for boys.
Anticipation has been growing over the last week as swimming delegations from more and more countries arrive in the northeastern Mexican city. The already prevalent swimming nations of Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Poland, Russia and of course Mexico, are sending particularly large (20+) groups of swimmers as they seek to use the Championships as an opportunity to gauge and foster their young talented swimmers, some of whom are Olympians and World Champions of the future.
At the final press conference before the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, which took place on July 5, the organising bodies thanked each other for making the competition a reality. In attendance was the President of the Mexican Swimming Federation, Javier Careaga, Melody Falco, the Director of the Sports and Physical Culture State Institute of Nuevo Leon, Jaime Vallejo, the Sports Director of the University of Nuevo Leon, and the Director of the Aquatic Center, René Salgado, along with the participation of Mexican athletes Ramiro Ramirez y Lourdes Villaseñor.
Ms. Falco explained that it was an honour to be part of the organisation committee for such an important event: “It is a true pleasure to have the honour of hosting FINA’s most important executives and the different countries visiting our city”. Also, Mr. Vallejo stated that he was proud to show-off the facilities that will hold this World Championships, the programme of which includes all the Olympic events, plus 50m races for all strokes and the 800m and 1500m freestyle for girls and boys. This competition is also part of the festivities of FINA’s 100 year celebration.
The Junior World Championships are still a new event on the FINA competition roster, as this is only the second edition. They are no less important however, for the advancement of international swimming as they target young, elite FINA athletes worldwide and give them a chance to gain international recognition early in their careers. The experience they have in Monterrey will motivate them to pursue and achieve their higher athletic ambitions, thus fostering the sport’s development. In the words of President Mustapha Larfaoui, “They [the participants] can share their passion for elite competition upon their return to their respective countries, thus bringing fresh dynamics to their clubs and sporting environments.”