Among the dozens of major decisions announced by the FINA Bureau in Bangkok this year, FINA approved the establishment of a three-person team time trial event (with at least one person from each gender) starting at the 2011 FINA World Swimming Championships in Shanghai, China.
The European Championships have already proved the excitement of this team time trial format by successfully conducted this unique event that requires winning teams to act as one, effectively drafting off of one another.
The team event as a time trial consist of 3 swimmers, either 1 man and 2 women, or 2 men 1 woman. Every team starts with all 3 swimmers together 60 seconds after the team ahead of them. The starting positions of the teams are randomly decided by automatic draw. The final time of each team is decided by the individual time of the third swimmer of the team.
Photo shows the winning Italian team of Ferretti, Bruni and Volpini at the 2009 European Open Water Swimming Championships.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.