The FINA World Masters Championships Gwangju 2019, gathering more than 4,000 aquatic sports enthusiasts, is currently underway in the Korean city until Sunday August 18.
Competitions in swimming, diving, water polo, open water swimming and artistic swimming, in which almost 90 countries are being represented, are staged in the same venues used for the elite FINA World Championships last month, insuring excellent standards and optimum conditions for the masters athletes coming from all around the world to measure their sporting skills.
With swimming and diving events still going on, the competition's schedule unfolds as follows here
The event is all the more meaningful and attractive with a vast number of elderly participants attending. Tones of astonishing personal athletes stories make the World Masters Championships special and unique as participants show off their skills, strength and youthful heart despite their advanced age sometimes.
Age is nothing but a number
Among the masters athletes, the oldest male swimmer is Tancho Tenev, 91, from Bulgaria, and the oldest female athlete is Toshiko Amano, 93, from Mexico. Tenev is also the oldest man in the men’s category in diving, a sport that requires considerable courage, coordination and flexibility. The oldest female diver is 81-year-old Joan Aldous of Great Britain.
France’s Françoise Noyer and Nancy Weiman of the United States, both 71, are the oldest artistic swimmers in Gwangju. They both show incredible talent at holding their breath underwater for long periods of time and their routine are spectacular.
For most masters participants, aquatic sports are part of their healthy lifestyle and an integral part of their culture and all agree to say that participation is more important than victory itself.
Check out the latest photos of the Masters in Gwangju on FINA Flickr account.