FINA is pleased to announce that invitations were sent to National Federations with athletes selected for the first edition of the new FINA event, the “Champions Swim Series”.
45 male swimmers from 15 nations and 37 female competitors from 17 countries were formally invited to take part in the three-leg circuit.
The first event will take place in Guangzhou, China, on April 27-28; Budapest, the Hungarian capital, will follow on May 11-12; and Indianapolis, in the USA, will close this inaugural edition on May 31-June 1. All three meets will be swum in 50m-pool.
The list of selected athletes includes Rio 2016 Olympic medallists, Budapest 2017 World Championships’ medallists, World Record holders, and leaders of the 2018 FINA World Swimming Ranking.
The competition format of the “Champions Swim Series” includes only direct finals, with four athletes per final.
Individual races include 50m, 100m and 200m in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, plus the 400m free and 200m IM, for both men and women.
Travel and accommodation expenses, as well as an appearance fee will be paid for the participanting athletes.
Moreover, attractive prize money will be paid in each individual race (1st place – US$ 10’000; 2nd place – US$ 8’000; 3rd place – US$ 6’000; 4th place – US$ 5’000) and in relay competition (1st – US$ 16’000; 2nd – US$ 12’000; 3rd – US$ 8’000; 4th and following – US$ 2’000). A US$ 20’000 bonus will be provided for each new World Record established during the competition.
“FINA is confident about the interest this competition will generate among the world’s best swimmers”, considered FINA President Julio C. Maglione.
“The original competition format, alongside the show we want to create around swimming and the very attractive prize money distribution are important elements characterising the new ‘Champions Swim Series’. With the superb performances of our Stars, we will provide a new image of Swimming to the world”, concluded President Maglione.
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