Fin swimming
As a competitive sport, fin swimming is the fastest way to get around in the water on your own. Fins are used for locomotion. With the help of a so-called monofin , a large fin in which both feet are fixed, dolphin-like movements are carried out and top speeds of over 3 m / s are achieved (50 m world record from 2019: 13.70 s). Since 2006, this sport has been referred to as finswimming by the German Association of German Sport Divers (VDST) . Finswimming has been recognized as an Olympic discipline by the IOC.
equipment
The basic equipment of every fin swimmer includes the monofin (in some exceptional cases, e.g. also the duo or stereo fin for children), a medium snorkel for the overwater stretches, and a mask or swimming goggles.
The large sheet of the monofin is made of glass fiber reinforced plastic . The foot parts into which the athlete sticks his feet are attached to it. These fins are made in Ukraine, Russia, China, Estonia, France and Italy. The fins most used in Germany come from Kiev (Ukraine) and Russia. In recent years, the fins have developed a lot. If the fin used to consist only of the fin blade and the rubber foot parts, the upper edges of the fin blade on the new fins are additionally covered with neoprene and a rubber layer, which supports the swimmer when the fin flaps and the water flows more favorably around the fin directs. This type of fin is called Android, named after its inventor or first manufacturer Andronov from Smolensk, which has been used in orientation diving for a long time . Other names from different manufacturers are Skorjenko / Wing (Russia), ChenBin (China), Hyper (Estonia) and Gipper (Ukraine).
In the overwater stretches, you breathe through the medium snorkel. In contrast to the "normal" snorkel , as we know it from diving, this does not run on the side of the head, but from the mouth over the nose and forehead upwards. To achieve a streamlined shape, it is slightly curved backwards.
A mask is used to see something in the water. This is made of plastic and offers both eyes and nose protection from the water. Some coaches advise against the use of a mask and recommend normal swimming goggles .
competition
Fin swimming competitions are mainly held in the swimming pool with the known lengths of 50 m to 1500 m. Even longer distances are swum similar to classic long-distance swimming in open water.
A standard competition program includes 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500 meters FS. FS stands for fin swimming and means that the competitions are contested on the surface of the water. On the route over 50 m FS, wearing and using the snorkel is compulsory in order to distinguish it from the 50 m apnea (ST) discipline. With said 50 m apnea / ST (ST = distance diving ) the athlete dives with bated breath ( see: apnea diving ) through the whole distance. Further underwater competition courses are 100 m, 400 m and 800 m ST, which were previously also called DTG (DTG = compressed air diving device). Here, the athlete uses a compressed air cylinder with a regulator , just like in classic diving , the only difference being that he pushes the compressed air cylinder in front of him with outstretched arms. Compressed air cylinders in sizes from 0.5 to 7 liters are used in the competitions. Only compressed air cylinders are permitted which have a filling pressure of up to 200 bar and for which the biennial TÜV test is available and stamped. Since the end of 2005, the routes previously known as DTG have also been swum under the abbreviation ST.
The rules are very similar to those of swimming . The differences are found in the limitation to only two forms (finswimming (FS) and apnea (apnea / ST)), which is optional whether a Monofin or Duoflossen compete. The monofin is far superior to the duo or stereo fins. In contrast to swimming competitions, in finswimming the 15 m mark at which the swimmer must have broken through the water surface with his head on the FS courses after turning or starting, must be marked on the bottom of the pool. In apnea / ST disciplines, a swimmer is only considered to have surfaced when the swimmer's face is above the surface of the water. If this is the case, he will be disqualified. In the FS disciplines, there must always be a part of the body or equipment (e.g. the snorkel) on the water surface after the 15 m marking.
Long-distance competitions take place in open water. Here the women and men swim 2 km, 6 km and 12 km nationally. Internationally there is still the competition over 20 km.
There are also relay competitions in all competitions. Four athletes swim a certain distance one after the other. For example 4 × 50, 4 × 100 FS or 4 × 200 FS. The 1400 FS team swimming is used in some regional competitions. Here, too, four swimmers swim, but three disciplines: 200 m, 100 m, 50 m. All four swim one after the other 200 m, then 100 m and finally 50 m.
National and international competitions take place at all levels, for example state championships and state cups. Here the participants of the individual federal states compete against each other, North and South German championships and German championships for children, young people, adults and Masters (seniors).
The international highlights are above all the world and European championships, which are held alternately every two years and also for the youth. Similar to the Olympic Games, the World Games are another highlight for the finswimmer every four years. The last World Games took place in 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland. At the international level, the CMAS World Cup has been attracting more and more attention for several years , as it enables a regular comparison at the international level.
Finswimming is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an Olympic sport, but has not yet been included in the Olympic program.
technology
The ultimate goal in swimming technique is to be streamlined. To achieve this, the athlete tries to stretch his body. Arms forward, hands are placed on top of each other and arms on top of the head. The sequence of movements is a whole body movement. The body performs a wave-like movement, the amplitude of this wave in the upper body being low and increasing towards the tips of the feet. The movement can best be compared to that of a dolphin . The head is in the water all the time. This enables you to be even more streamlined and thus to complete the swim course faster.
Similar sports
- Even when mermaiding ( mermaid swimming) one swims with a monofin.
- The swimming movements are similar to those of butterfly swimming .
Individual evidence
- ↑ VDST: men's world records. Retrieved September 1, 2019 .
- ↑ Fin swimming , accessed on August 27, 2016
Web links
- CMAS finswimming
- VDST finswimming
- Finswimmer website
- proaction Kft .: Finswimming - the Board CMAS - World Underwater Federation. Retrieved October 10, 2017 .