Finswimming World Championships


The Finswimming World Championships is the peak international event for the underwater sport of finswimming. These are conducted on behalf of the sport's governing body, Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques by an affiliated national federation.

Scheduling

The championship is split into two events on the basis of age for both male and female swimmers - seniors and juniors. The senior championship was first held in 1976 while the junior championship was first held in 1989.
From 1976 to 1990, the senior championships were held every four years, except for the championship held in Moscow during 1982, and from 1990 to 2006 it was held every two years. The junior championship has been held every two years from 1993, with the exception of the years 2005 and 2006.
As of 2007, the championships have been held every two years, with the senior age group event being held in the odd years starting with 2007, while the junior age group event is held in even years starting with 2008.

Organization

A world championship is conducted at two sites within a geographical locality - one being an olympic-size swimming pool and the other being an open water site suitable for long-distance finswimming.
The pool competition is carried out over five days with qualifying heats held in the morning and finals held in the afternoon. Races are conducted in the following techniques and distances for both male and female swimmers:
  • Surface finswimming (SF) - individual races for distances of 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m, and relays for 4 × 100 m, 4 × 200 m and 4×50.
  • Bi-Fins (BF, also known as ‘Stereo-fins’) - 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m, and relays for 4×100.
  • Apnoea finswimming (AP also known as ‘apnea’) - 50m while juniors younger than 14 years old swim only 25m.
  • Immersion finswimming (IM) - 100m and 400m.
As of 2014, the long-distance competition is held over one day for senior and juniors swimmers with the following schedule: Morning - 4 x 2 km mixed team relay and Afternoon - 6 km individual swim. National federations may register a maximum of one relay team and a maximum of four individuals for the 6 km race. Long distance swimming is only open to SF and BF techniques.

Championships

In 1988 to 2005, World Championship in Long Distance Fins was also held. Since 2006 competitions at all distances have been held at a single world championship.

Seniors (+18)

Since 1976 :

Juniors (12 - 17)

Since 1989 :

Masters (30 - Over 75) (Pool and Open Waters)

EditionYearHost CityHost CountryEvents
12019Ravenna139
22021Lignano Sabbiadoro
32022Cali
42023Belgrade
52024Carry-le-Rouet
62025El Alamein

Open Water (Juniors, Seniors, Masters)

EditionYearHost CityHost CountryEvents
12021Santa Marta
22022Viverone
32024Marseille
42025El Alamein