CMAS Snow Fins Competition

The CMAS International Finswimming and Sport Diving competition has finished in frosty Siberia - Russia. More than 150 swimmers from 8 countries (3 continents) competed for 20 prizes on short course-sprint distances. Organisers had created a prize fund of USD 10 000 .

Though it was the firs competition, i. e. the start of the season there were a number of world-class results. Spectators could see a show demonstration. The entertainment exhibition was performed by a European swimming champion and by the world finswimming champion. Antoine Galavtine - France and Andrey Burakov - Russia demonstrated to the viewers the considerable advantage in speed of finswimmer vis-à-vis a classical swimmer.

Invited by the Russian and Tomsk Region Government, a sizable CMAS delegation was present at the event. The visit of CMAS dignitaries like Secretary General Alessandro Zerbi, Sports Committee President Xavier Duran Soler, BoD members Anna Arzhanova and Natalia Grechikhina, as well as the Presidents of  Finswimming, and Sport Diving Commission Michel Gaunard and Marifé Abad, became a historical event in the life of Siberian underwater sport.

The regional government confirmed the financing of the construction of a modern underwater sport centre in Siberia - including an olympic standard 50m pool and a 25m training pool for a total amount of around USD 30 million. In 2013 CMAS will get a new underwater sport development centre on the boarder of Europe and Asia full backed by the  Siberian authorities.