FINA has recently approved Virtual World Series Competitions in USA Artistic Swimming and Canadian Artistic Swimming (synchronized swimming). Due to the challenges COVID-19 has presented, in-person competitions have not been able to take place. These virtual competitions will allow the highest-level athletes to compete against other athletes around the world.
The virtual competitions will include a full artistic swimming world-series schedule with Technical Team, Free Team, Highlight, Combination, Technical Duet, Free Duet, Technical Mixed Duet, Free Mixed Duet, and Solo routines.
The virtual competitions will commence in phases. The competitors will first record their routines at a scheduled date and time three weeks before the competition airdate. The recordings will then be sent to the organization committee to be submitted to the event production. Once the recording is submitted, the routines are judged by FINA judges with assistance from the USA and Canada integrated sports systems. The scores given by the judges will be put into graphics to be aired with the event production.
There is no current announcement regarding how the judging will take place.
The virtual competition will include commentating from National and International synchronized swimming champion, Bill May, and Olympian and World Aquatics Champion, Christina Jones.
The United States virtual competition will air on February 19-21, with Canada’s installment is set to air on May 28-30.
Athletes who compete in the virtual competitions will be eligible for points that will count towards qualification for the World Series Super Final scheduled to take place in Barcelona. Neither country medaled in artistic swimming at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships.
“There is no current announcement regarding how the judging will take place.”
Well, there’s one thing that hasn’t changed as a result of the pandemic. . . .