FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships In Canada -- April 30, 2012

OPEN WATER INDONESIA-Canada. FINA President Dr. Julio Maglione announced the first FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships that will be held in the Niagara Falls area in Welland, Canada between August 16-19, 2012. "This new competition gives our young open water stars an opportunity to compete at the highest level."

As part of the Niagara Open Water Festival, the championships will include a Youth Division (14-16 years) and a Junior Division (17-18 years) in 3 different events: 2 solo races and 1 relay.

In the Youth Division, the athletes compete over a 5 km course; in the Junior Division, they compete over a 7.5 km course. The mixed-gender Team Event is a 3-person 3 km relay comprises of either 2 boys and 1 girl or 2 girls and 1 boy. 

The Team Event has 2 categories: 14-16 years in the Youth Division and 17-18 years in the Junior Division. For the Team Event, a maximum of 2 swimmers from the 14-16 age category can swim in the 17-18 age group category with 1 team per Federation.

A maximum of two athletes per Federation are allowed per event in the individual events and a maximum of 1 team per Federation is allowed per age group in the Team Event.

Additionally, the Welland Masters Swim Team and Brock Niagara Aquatics will also conduct the Niagara Open Water Festival on the last day where several events from 1 km to 10 km will be held for all athletes on the same championship course. (swimmingworldmagazine)