Thursday, March 14, 2024

Portugal will be home of ECA Ocean Racing European Championships in 2024


 

In exactly one month the 2024 ECA European Championships season will kick off with the opening ceremony of the 2024 ECA Ocean Racing European Championships in Portugal. Azores will host the championships of the Old Continent between 11th and 14th April. This will be the introduction to ocean racing year in Portugal, as this country will in October also organise the World Championships in Madeira. Before the season starts we talked with Vitor Felix, president of the Portuguese Canoe Federation.

This year you are hosting the two biggest ocean racing competitions - European and World Championships. This has to be a big challenge?

Vitor Felix: “For sure Portugal will be the capital of Ocean Racing in 2024! We are used to hosting major international competitions and we like a good challenge concerning our sport. Since 2009 we have organised several international events in every canoeing discipline, so we have a lot of experience and together with our local partners in Azores and Madeira, with no doubt we will organise the best European and World championships ever.”

Your federation is considered one the strongest and the most successful in the world of canoeing. Does this bring even more responsibility in organising top-level events?

Vitor Felix: “In my opinion Portuguese Canoeing nowadays has two brands, at national level we are a sport reference due to the international results of our athletes, and at an international level we are a reference in hosting top-level events. So these two things give us an enormous responsibility and people are always expecting more from us, so we always prepare the best conditions to make each event we host a big success.”

Your championships are always very well organised. What can we expect of the 2024 ECA Ocean Racing European Championships?

Vitor Felix: “Azores have very good conditions at the sea for Ocean Racing fans, our local partners have a lot of experience organising regional and national competitions, mainly at security level, very important in these competitions, and they are very eager to host and welcome people from other countries to know their island. For sure these are the main ingredients for a big event!”

Portugal organised the first ever ECA Ocean Racing European Championships in 2014. Now, 10 years later, the best European paddlers are returning to Portugal. How have things changed and improved since then?

Vitor Felix: “So, we have an enormous responsibility in European ocean racing events. Since then Ocean Racing has increased a lot, has more participants, discipline became part of the multisport events, such as Beach Games, therefore the European federations give more importance and attention to this discipline. This is a discipline that can attract easily the athletes and it is a big promotion for our sport.”

What could you say about the status of Ocean Racing in Portugal? Is it very popular, how many people are involved with this discipline?

Vitor Felix: “The ocean is in our blood and makes part of our history. We have 800 kilometres of Atlantic Coast plus the islands of Azores and Madeira, so we have very good conditions for Ocean Racing. Our national championships usually has 4 or 5 competitions, with about 250 participants. On 9th March, we had our first national championship in 2024, with 250 athletes in junior, senior and masters categories, and this year we introduced the kids level, with a smaller course near the coast, and we already have about 180 young athletes.”

You have many places in Portugal, this time you chose Azores to host the European Championships. How was the decision for this location born?

Vitor Felix: “That was an easy decision, like was the one for the Worlds in Madeira. Azores increased a lot in canoeing in recent years, with more athletes and more regional competitions, so we thought that it was fair to give them our highest trust to organise this European Championships. Every young athlete in Azores starts in sport at the ocean and it stays in his blood forever. In our opinion we will organise the best European Championships ever.”

Not only in an organisational sense, you probably expect a lot from this Championships in terms of great results as well? Your athletes will be among the main candidates for medals and top positions?

Vitor Felix: “In recent years, Bernardo Pereira from Madeira is frequently on the podium of junior and U23 events at international competitions, so we expect that at home he will make history in this discipline. But we also expect some good results in other categories; in the junior category we have some athletes that can be a surprise. It would be the cherry on the top of the cake, to have good results and the best organisation.”

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Bahrain set to host the World Aquatics High Diving World Cup for the first time


 

The competition will take place in the Kingdom from 21 to 22 September 2024

World Aquatics today announced that Bahrain will host the first stop of the highly anticipated High Diving World Cup 2024, to take place from 21 to 22 September. It will mark the first time a high diving competition and a World Aquatics event will have been held in the Kingdom.

Supported by GFH Financial Group, one of the most recognised financial groups in the Gulf region, 50 of the world’s best male and female high divers will meet in what promises to be a great showcase for this spectacular aquatics sport.

Bahrain offers a rich cultural heritage and warm hospitality, all among a beautiful coastline and iconic architecture. Plans for the event notably draw from this coastal identity. The competition will be held in Manama, with the diving platforms rising 27 metres high against the city’s stunning skyline. Fans and stakeholders alike are promised an unforgettable experience at every turn.

Adding to the stakes for the competition, it has been confirmed that the stop in Bahrain will serve as a qualification tournament for the World Aquatics Championships - Singapore 2025.

World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam expressed his excitement over the plans for the event and also the long-term aquatics agenda in Bahrain: “World Aquatics is thrilled to be bringing high divers to Bahrain for the first time, building on the recent establishment of the World Aquatics centre of excellence at the University of Technology Bahrain. The future for aquatics sport in Bahrain looks very bright and is clearly set to have a global impact."

He added; “I extend a heartfelt thank you to the Bahrain Olympic Committee, the GFH Financial Group (GFH) and the Bahrain Swimming Federation for their continued commitment to the development of aquatics sports. Through their visionary initiatives, they have played a pivotal role in promoting the growth of aquatics disciplines in the region and fostering a culture of excellence”.

Canadian high diver, Molly Carlson said; “I am so excited to be competing in Bahrain for the High Diving World Cup and to have this date and place to look forward to. Each competition brings its own unique energy and atmosphere. We always love to compete in, and experience, new places and then share those things with our fans. With this being the first stop in the competition this year, the anticipation will be high too!”

Aidan Heslop, British high diver who was recently crowned men’s high dive champion said; “After the success of the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024, I can’t wait to get back to that part of the world. It’s a great place to compete in and it will be all the more special for sharing the experience among this community of athletes that I’ve really come to appreciate.”

 

About World Aquatics:

Driven by the vision of a world united by water for health, life and sport, World Aquatics is the international governing body for aquatic sports. Founded in 1908, World Aquatics is an independent organisation formed of 210 National Member Federations and five Continental Associations.

World Aquatics oversees six aquatic sports – swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving – and is recognised as the leading global authority of these sports by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

 

About GFH Financial Group B.S.C.:

GFH Financial Group is one of the most recognised financial groups in the Gulf region. Its businesses include Investment Management, Commercial Banking and Treasury & Proprietary Investments, with assets and funds under management exceeding US$19 billion dollars. The Group’s operations are principally focused across the GCC, North Africa and India, along with strategic investment in the U.S., Europe and the U.K. GFH is listed in Bahrain Bourse, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Boursa Kuwait and Dubai Financial Market. For more information, please visit www.gfh.com.

Tusindvis af frivillige uddanner sig hos SvømDanmark



Op imod 2.000 frivillige deltog forrige år på en af vores uddannelser, hvor vi oplevede stigende efterspørgsel efter livredning- og førstehjælpskurser.

Af: Klaus Bach Christensen, kommunikationskonsulent

3.340. Så mange gennemførte i 2023 en af SvømDanmarks uddannelser. 1.794 af de uddannede er frivillige officials, og de udgør næsten halvdelen (46,29 procent) af det samlede antal.

”Engagementet fra vores frivillige er ganske enkelt imponerende, og deres lyst til at støtte atleterne og dansk svømmesport i almindelighed er beundringsværdigt,” siger Christina Borring, der er teamleder for SvømDanmarks kursus- og uddannelsesafdeling. 

De frivilliges store lyst til at dygtiggøre sig og gøre karriere som official stiller, ifølge teamlederen, krav til teamet og hende selv om løbende at evaluere uddannelsernes form og indhold samt gøre det så let som overhovedet muligt for medlemsklubberne at finde relevante kurser til deres officials.

Det resulterede i, at teamet - med stor hjælp fra en række frivillige - tilbage i oktober offentliggjorde Officialgrunduddannelsen, som gør det muligt for officials at uddanne sig inden for rollerne som tidtager, bane-, vende- og måldommer på én gang. 

”Vi har gjort uddannelsesstrukturen og udbuddet af kurser mere tydelig, lige som vi er i dialog med klubberne med henblik på at planlægge kurser fremadrettet. Det virker til at have bidraget til at fastholde de frivillige, som tager flere officialuddannelser. F.eks. uddannede vi væsentligt flere startere, ledende tidtagere og måldommere samt stævnesekretærer forrige år, end vi gjorde i 2022,” forklarer Christina Borring.

Stigende interesse for livredning og førstehjælp

For at sikre et Danmark, hvor alle trygt svømmer og bevæger sig ved og i vand, samarbejder SvømDanmark med en række aktører på livredningsområdet, og her oplevede uddannelsesafdelingen i 2023 en stigende efterspørgsel.

Uddannelsestilbud inden for livredning og førstehjælp udgjorde i fjor 27,22 procent af de i alt 180 afholdte kurser. I 2022 gjaldt det 21,16 procent.

”Det er tydeligt, at flere og flere bliver opmærksomme på at få deres medarbejdere uddannet inden for området. Det gælder både klubber, kommuner, skoler og private, som ønsker at sikre, at de har de rette kompetencer og et internationalt certificeret bevis herpå. Det er vi er den eneste instans i Danmark, der kan udstede, som følge af vores medlemskab hos den internationale livredningsorganisation, ILS,” siger Hjalte Borum, der er uddannelseskonsulent inden for livredning i SvømDanmark og uddyber:

“Vi oplever en stigende forespørgsel, og vi kan samtidig se, at de livredderdommere, der er certificeret af SvømDanmark, er særdeles aktive. Det er meget positivt, for det er alt andet lige med til at udbrede kendskabet til livredning og førstehjælp.”

I 2023 uddannede SvømDanmark i samarbejde med sine certificerede livredderdommere 921 inden for livredning i bassin og ved åbent vand, hvilket er en stigning på 17,47 procent fra forrige år.

Årets uddannelser er i fuld gang

Flere end 200 er allerede begyndt eller har gennemført en af SvømDanmarks uddannelser i løbet af kalenderårets to første måneder. Skulle du have spørgsmål til vores mange uddannelsesmuligheder, så tøv ikke med at kontakte uddannelses- og kursusafdelingen på mail: kursus@svoem.dk

Friday, February 23, 2024

WORLD TRIATHLON A field of world class athletes ready to chase Olympic dreams in World Cup season opener


 

A new World Triathlon Cup season begins with the 2024 World Triathlon Cup Napier, a coastal city of New Zealand’s North Island. While New Zealand is well known for staging triathlon races, this will be the inaugural World Triathlon Cup for Napier. The race schedule is stacked across Saturday 24th and Sunday 25 February. Saturday will host the 2024 Oceania Triathlon Junior Championships Napier and the 2024 World Triathlon Cup Napier with the world’s best athletes racing in an all-important Olympic qualification window for Paris 2024. Sunday will stage the Age-Group races, Oceania Junior Mixed Relay and the 2024 World Triathlon Mixed Relay. The 2024 World Triathlon Cup is a sprint-distance triathlon (750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run) and will start along the iconic stretch of the waterfront in Napier called Perfume Point. The 2024 event will be integrated into a Triathlon Festival featuring the New Zealand Sprint Distance Championships. It’s time for athletes to test out how the pre-season build has gone and show off form, as the world’s best fire up to battle it out in a sprint-distance format, the first World Cup race of 2024. The Elite women will race on Saturday from 4pm local time and the men will line-up from 6pm, all watchable on the platform TriathlonLive.tv (live and on-demand).

The Wilde favourite

New Zealand’s Olympic medallist and ranked number two in the world Hayden Wilde will take centre stage and wear number one in Saturday’s World Cup season opener in Napier, New Zealand. Wilde is a firm favourite to not only claim victory in the first World Cup of the season but to qualify in 2024 to represent New Zealand in the next Olympic Games in Paris.

Young guns ready to fire

Wilde will be joined by Portugal’s Ricardo Batista, a sprint-distance specialist and known for his gutsy performances right to the end. In the 2023 World Triathlon Cup in New Zealand, staged in New Plymouth, silver and bronze medals came down to the wire in one of the most thrilling sprint finished between Batista and New Zealand’s Tayler Reid, where the Portuguese athlete had to settle for third place. Batista earned the silver medal in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Tongyeong at the end of last season followed by 5th place in the World Cup in Miyazaki, after serving a penalty. The Portuguese athlete will be highly motivated to sprint for a medal in Napier this weekend. Reid will also prove fierce competition come Saturday’s sprint-distance World Cup.

New Zealand’s rising star Dylan McCullough, who earned his first World Cup medal in 2023 in the World Triathlon Cup Miyazaki, showed off fantastic form last weekend claiming the silver in the 2024 Oceania Triathlon Cup in Wanaka. McCullough is eager to line up in Napier and produce a result which will assist his Olympic campaign to Paris in 2024.

Olympic dreams on the line

Hungary’s Olympian Gabor Faldum is an experienced triathlete who is motivated towards representing at another Olympic Games this summer. Faldum secured a top 10 finish in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup in Chengdu, proving his strength up against some of the world’s best rising stars of the sport.

Australia’s Commonwealth Games representative Luke Willian and rising star Brandon Copeland will be eager to test early season form in Napier on Saturday. Both men have stated their intent to qualify and represent Australia in the next Olympic Games in Australia. Napier provides a strong opportunity to earn valuable Olympic points. Willian crossed the line in 7th place in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Chengdu and Copeland was 9th in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup in Tongyeong and 6th place in the World Cup in Miyazaki to close the season.

The British troops ready for a showdown

A strong contingent of British talent will start the World Cup season in Napier, featuring Daniel Dixon, Samuel Dickinson, Hugo Milner and Ben Dijkstra. Milner showed incredible talent at the end of 2023 when he showcased the best race of his career resulting in victory in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Miyazaki.

One to watch

Spain’s Genis Grauhayden could also be among the contenders to watch on Saturday. Grau brought home his first World Cup gold medal in the 2022 World Triathlon Cup Huatulco and 4th place in the 2023 World Cup in Mexico, both in sprint-distance race formats. Norway’s Casper Stornes

Review the start list: 2024 World Triathlon Cup Napier - Elite Men and follow the action live and on-demand over on TriathlonLive.tv on Saturday 24th February with the men lining up at 6pm local time.

SvømDanmark Flere danske atleter er klar til VM for masters


 

Verdensmesterskaberne for masters afholdes 23. februar til 3. marts i Doha.

Af: Klaus Bach Christensen, kommunikationskonsulent

VM sluttede i søndags, og traditionen tro starter VM for masters kort tid efter. I år er ingen undtagelse, og allerede fredag starter verdensmesterskaberne for masters.

Danmark er i alt repræsenteret med 12 atleter, der skal vise Dannebrogs rød-hvide farver frem i fire af SvømDanmarks discipliner – nemlig udspring, kunstsvømning, åbent vand-svømning og svømning.

Få overblikket over deltagende danskere nedenfor.

Udspring

Charlotte Friis Billefeld, Bornebusch, High Diving Denmark

Jimmi Bjørn Nordquist Andersen, High Diving Denmark

Andrea Tino, Lyngby Udsprings Klub af 2002 (LUK 2002)

Kunstsvømning

Kirsten Lilian Johansen, Hovedstadens Svømmeklub

Åbent vand-svømning

Anders Meinert Pedersen, Vejle Svømmeklub

Svømning

Christoph Karow, Hovedstadens Svømmeklub

Pia Thulstrup, Swim Team Taastrup

Berit Marx Pedersen, Swim Team Taastrup

Inge-Lise Damberg, Swim Team Taastrup

Elisabeth Gløy Ketelsen, Swim Team Taastrup

Finn Damberg (træner), Swim Team Taastrup

Claus Lerche Iversen, SIGMA Swim

Marina Heller Hansen, Søllerød Svømmeklub

Atleter kan stille op til konkurrencer og mesterskaber for masters i det år, atleten fylder 25 år. Masters inddeles i aldersgrupper á fem års interval, som der konkurreres indenfor. 25-29 år, 30-34 år, 35-39 år osv.

WORLD TRIATHLON Napier welcomes strong women's field to open 2024 World Cup season


 

Gina Sereno and Xinyu Lin headline race start list in New Zealand

A new World Triathlon Cup season begins with the 2024 World Triathlon Cup Napier, a coastal city of New Zealand’s North Island. While New Zealand is well known for staging triathlon races, this will be the inaugural World Triathlon Cup for Napier. The race schedule is stacked across Saturday 24th and Sunday 25 February. Saturday will host the 2024 Oceania Triathlon Junior Championships Napier and the 2024 World Triathlon Cup Napier with the world’s best athletes racing in an all-important Olympic qualification window for Paris 2024. Sunday will stage the Age-Group races, Oceania Junior Mixed Relay and the 2024 World Triathlon Mixed Relay. The 2024 World Triathlon Cup is a sprint-distance triathlon (750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run) and will start along the iconic stretch of the waterfront in Napier called Perfume Point. The 2024 event will be integrated into a Triathlon Festival featuring the New Zealand Sprint Distance Championships. It’s time for athletes to test out how the pre-season build has gone and show off form, as the world’s best fire up to battle it out in a sprint-distance format, the first World Cup race of 2024. The Elite women will race on Saturday from 4pm local time and the men will line-up from 6pm, all watchable on the platform TriathlonLive.tv (live and on-demand).

The contenders

USA’s Gina Sereno headlines the 40-deep women’s field in the opening World Triathlon Cup race of 2024 in Napier. Sereno claimed impressive silvers in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Vina del Mar in November and the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games. China’s Xinyu Lin produced a string of fantastic results to close out the 2023 season including silver in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, 4th place in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Chengdu, 5th place in World Triathlon Cup Miyazaki and 2nd in the 2023 Asia Triathlon Sprint Championships Al-Khobar. Lin lines up in Napier as one of the favourites in the sprint-distance race. Hungary’s Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer and Australia’s Natalie Van Coevorden are highly experienced on the World Triathlon Championship Series and World Triathlon Cup scene and are ready to battle it out in Napier, with their sights fixed on qualifying in 2024 for the Olympic Games in Paris. Napier is within the qualification period, providing a valuable race opportunity for athletes to collect points.

Young guns to watch

Italy’s Ilaria Zane earned the gold medal last weekend in the 2024 Oceania Triathlon Wanaka (New Zealand) and performed incredibly well last season claiming bronze medals in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Weihai and 2023 World Triathlon Cup Weihai, both standard-distance races. Competition will be fierce in Napier with the likes of Australia’s Sophie Linn, Spain’s Cecilia Santamaria Surroca, Great Britain’s Olivia Mathias and Ecuador’s Elizabeth Bravo all lining up to test where form is at the start of 2024 for the opening World Cup of the season.

Team World Triathlon

Bermuda’s Erica Hawley is a member of Team World Triathlon and continues to show progress each season. Hawley had a standout 2023 season, securing her first World Triathlon Cup medal in Yeongdo, South Korea, among other top 10 finishes. If the talented young star from Bermuda can maintain a strong position up front, she could have a real chance at running her way to a medal finish or her first World Cup victory. Team World Triathlon members Maria Carolina Velasquez (COL) and Zuzana Michalivkova (CZE) will join Hawley on the start line in Napier, eager to produce dominant performances in a crucial Olympic year. Velasquez Soto earned silver in the 2023 Santiago Pan America Games women’s race and Michalickova came 4th in last weekend’s 2024 Oceania Triathlon Cup Wanaka.

A wealth of race experience

Belgian star Valerie Barthelemy will be another to watch on Saturday. After having to withdraw from last weekend’s Oceania Cup in Wanaka due to illness, Barthelemy is looking to start the season with a strong race result. Hungary’s Olympian Zsofia Kovacs delivered strong performances at the end of last year with 8th place in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Chengdu and 6th place in the 2023 World Triathlon Cup Tongyeong and will have her sights set on a top 10 finish in Napier after a strong pre-season build.

Team New Zealand

New Zealand will be strongly represented with Ainsley Thorpe, Brea Roderick, Olivia Thornbury, Eva Goodisson, Olivia Cummings, Hannah Howell and Amara Rae.

SvømDanmark Helena Rosendahl Bach vinder VM-sølv på 200m butterfly


 

Landsholdssvømmerens internationale sølvmedalje-streak fortsatte, da hun var marginalt fra VM-guldet.

Af: Klaus Bach Christensen, kommunikationskonsulent

Dansk idræt og dansk svømmesport er torsdag blevet en historisk triumf rigere. I finalen på 200 meter butterfly ved verdensmesterskaberne på langbane lykkedes det nemlig Helena Rosendahl Bach fra Aalborg Svømmeklub at vinde sølv.

Landsholdssvømmeren var blandt de forreste gennem hele finalen, og da den skulle afgøres, var spørgsmålet blot, om Aalborg-svømmeren ville komme i mål som nummer et, to eller tre.

Marginalerne var dog ikke på danskerens side, som nærmest på indslaget måtte se britiske Laura Stephens komme i mål som den første. Dog blev det komfortabelt til sølv foran Lana Pudar fra Bosnien-Hercegovina.

Top-3

Lara Stephens, 2.07.35

Helena Rosendahl Bach, 2.07.44

Lana Pudar, 2.07.92

Til SvømDanmark siger Helena Rosendahl Bach:

”Jeg er sindssygt glad for min VM-medalje, og det virker lidt surrealistisk. Det er som om, jeg har lidt en sølvstreak i øjeblikket. Jeg gjorde, hvad jeg kunne og var tæt på guldet, som vil være fedt at hapse en anden gang.”

”Det er et spændende svømmeår, og det er godt at komme ind og få mere og mere erfaring. Så må vi se, om jeg ikke er bedre rustet til næste gang.”

Medaljen er Helena Rosendahl Bachs første i VM-sammenhæng, og hun bliver den blot femte dansker til at få hængt VM-sølv om halsen. Tidligere har landsholdsprofilen taget en sølvmedalje ved EM på langbane samt to EM-sølvmedaljer på kortbane.

Det er ligeledes cheftræner Bjørn Sørensens første VM-medalje, mens det er den tredje Aalborg Svømmeklub kan fejre. Tilbage i 2015 vandt Mie Ø. Nielsen fra Aalborg Svømmeklub bronze på 100 meter rygsvømning, mens Benny Nielsen vandt bronze på 200m butterfly i 1986.

For VM-historikere

For at finde dansk svømmesport seneste medalje ved et verdensmesterskab på langbane, skal vi helt tilbage til 2017, hvor Pernille Blume vandt bronze på 100 meter frisvømning i Budapest.

Vi skal endnu et mesterskab tilbage for at finde den seneste danske VM-sølvmedalje. I 2015 svømmede Jeanette Ottesen sig til to af slagsen i henholdsvis 50- og 100 meter butterfly ved VM i Kazan.

Den seneste VM-guldmedalje er Jeanette Ottesen også noteret for. I 2013 kunne hun lade sig hylde som verdensmester på 50 meter butterfly, da hun tilbagelagde bassinets længde i tiden 25.24 sekunder, der siden har været dansk rekord på distancen.

Historisk er dansk svømmesport nu oppe på i alt 21 vundne medaljer ved VM på langbane, heraf fire af guld, ni af sølv og otte af bronze. Medaljerne er gennem tiden vundet af 11 forskellige svømmere. Flest står Lotte Friis noteret for med sine seks VM-medaljer i alt.

Mere dansk VM

Verdensmesterskaberne fortsætter i morgen og frem til på søndag. Lørdag skal danske Julie Kepp Jensen fra A6/NTC i aktion, når det gælder kvindernes 50 meter frisvømning.