Finswimming 1652985 225003840 2008-07-11T12:18:14Z Alaricbsmith 6883944 /* History */ added wikilink for World Corporate Games '''Finswimming''' is the progression of a [[swimming|swimmer]] using [[monofins]] or normal [[fin]]s (called bifins or stereofins within the sport) either on the water surface or [[underwater]], using only [[muscle]] strength. It is a discipline of [[underwater sports]]. The competition distances are same as for swimming (50 m, 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1500 m, 4x100 m and 4x200 m relays). Continental and World Championships are organized by [[CMAS]]. ==Disciplines and Distances== There are three disciplines in finswimming (international events)<ref>CMAS Rules 2008, Version 2</ref> *Surface: 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 4X100 and 4X200 relay (metres) *Surface bifins (stereofins): 50, 100 and 200 (metres) *Apnea: 50 (metres) *Immersion: 100, 400, 800 (metres) All open water events are raced on the surface and are held over 1,500, 3,000, 6,000 and 25,000 metres. Open water immersion is known as [[underwater orienteering]]. In the United States, competitions are also held in the above events, in addition to the following events in 25 yard pools. *Surface: 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 1650; 200, 400, and 800 relays (yards) *Apnea: 25, 50; 200 relay (yards) *Immersion: 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 (yards) Surface racing is kicking on the surface, using a centre-mounted [[snorkel]]. Apnea racing is kicking under or at the surface with no breathing allowed, even at the turn <ref>CMAS Rules 2008, Version 2</ref>. Immersion racing is kicking underwater while breathing off of a [[scuba tank]] and a simplified [[diving regulator|regulator]]. Many finswimmers use heavily modified [[diving regulator|regulator]]s, often stripping away any unnecessary parts. ==History and Distribution== ===History=== There has been a lot written about the first finswimming championships and the origins of fins <ref>Smith (in preparation), British Finswimming Association Manual, Section A</ref>. There were competitions held in [[France]] in the early 1920s, [[Italy]] in the 1930s and 1940s and in the [[United Kingdom]] in the 1950s. World and Continental Championships are organised under [[CMAS]] rules and regulations. The European Championships have run since 1967 (held in [[Italy]]). World Championships have been held since 1976 (held in [[Germany]]). The World Championships are held every two years (on every odd year) and Continental Championships held in the intervening years. There have been twenty one European Championships. The Asian Finswimming Championships have been held 10 times, having started in 1989, the last being held in 2007 (in [[Hong Kong]]). There have been three Pan-American Championships, starting in 1993, with the last being held in 2001 (in [[Cali, Colombia]]). There have also been five "Arab Zone" Championships, the last was held in 2003 (in [[Beirut, Lebanon]]). Recently, [[CMAS]] has amalgamated all of the World Championships for the sports that it governs into one event, the World Underwater Games. The First World Underwater Games were held in 2007 in [[Bari, Italy]]. Most of the results for these Championships can be found on the [[CMAS]] website [http://www.cmas.org/]. The sport is also one of those included in the [[World Games]], [[South East Asia Games]] and in several multi-sport and military international events. Since 1988 ([[San Francisco, California]], USA), the sport had been included in the [[World Corporate Games]] but has not been included since the 1992 Games in [[London]], United Kingdom. Sadly, little is available on the Games, other than a short "history list" on the [[Australian Corporate Games]] website [http://www.corporategames.net.au/about/history.shtml] and a brief mention on the [[Underwater Society of America]] website [http://www.underwater-society.org/usoahome.html]. ===Distribution=== It is a fairly widespread sport around the world; [[Russia]], [[China]], [[France]], [[Greece]], [[Germany]] and [[Italy]] are the main players. However, it can be found in around one hundred countries around the world. Finswimming is found in many Commonwealth countries (see [[Commonwealth of Nations]]) including the [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Canada]] and [[Singapore]] (see [[Commonwealth Finswimming Records]]). Most countries hold National Championships, many of which are open to international competitors (including the [[Netherlands]], [[Germany]] and [[Belgium]]). In the [[United Kingdom]] there are around seven finswimming clubs <ref>British Finswimming Association 2008</ref>, mostly in [[Kent]]. There is an annual National Short Course (25 m pool) Finswimming Championships in the [[United Kingdom]], which are traditionally held at the Edenbridge Leisure Centre, [[Edenbridge, Kent]]. [[As of 2007]], the annual National Long Course (50 m pool) Finswimming Championships have been held; the first being held in [[Aldershot]], [[Hampshire]]. In the [[United States]] it is very small but gaining competitors. The major areas of finswimming in the United States include [[Texas]] ([[Houston, Texas|Houston]], including the suburbs of [[Pasadena, Texas|Pasadena]] and [[Deer Park, Texas|Deer Park]]) which has the largest concentration of finswimmers in the USA, [[California]] (around [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], which is the location of the national headquarters for USA Fin Swimming), [[Rhode Island]] (around [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]]), and scattered individuals in [[Florida]]. The United States has competed at the World Championships sporadically since the early 1980s, achieving very limited success on the international scene. A few competitions are held in the United States, with the last US National Championships being held in California in 1998. Texas hosts three to four meets a year, with participation consisting of Texas finswimmers and those from other countries who live in the southeast Texas area and still train and compete in the sport. They have hosted the majority of the finswimming competitions in the USA for the past 6-8 years. Texas hosts the Texas Open Finswimming Invitational, the Gulf Coast International Finswimming Invitational, along with the Texas State Finswimming Championships every year. In addition they also host 2-3 high school finswimming meets a year. The World Scholar-Athlete Games and the United States Scholar-Athlete Games at the University of Rhode Island have included finswimming competition as a part of their Games program since 1999. The sport is growing in the United States with scattered pockets around the country popping up. However Texas leads the country in the number of finswimmers and competitions. Most finswimming training outside of Texas and California consists of cross training for swimming. ==Sporting appeal and training== ===Apeal=== The main appeal of finswimming is the speed that a competitor can reach. The World record for the 50 m freestyle, Long Course (see [[World records in swimming]]), is 21.28 seconds (by [[Eamon Sullivan]] of [[Australia]]). In finswimming it is 14.19 seconds (for 50 m Apnea by Euvjeny Skorjenko of [[Russia]]). This is a 33 percent increase in speed over conventional [[swimming]]. ===Training=== Unlike most swimming training programmes, finswimming training tends to be far more specific and more like systems used for track running in [[athletics]]. In addition, finswimmers tend to do far more dry-side work, including a huge amount of [[core stability]] (as core strength), [[plyometrics]] and [[weight training]]. Again, this is carried out on a specific basis. The sport will continue to develop and move forward as more swimmers become involved and knowledgeable about the benefits of training with [[monofins]]. ==References== {{reflist|2}} [[Category:Swimming]] [[Category:Underwater diving]] [[de:Flossenschwimmen]] [[fr:Nage avec palmes]] [[it:Nuoto pinnato]] [[ja:フィンスイミング]] [[nl:Vinzwemmen]] [[zh:蹼泳]]