The first FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships will be held in Canada in 2012. The August event will be held in the Welland Recreational Canal in Ontario, site of the annual Welland Four Bridges Swim.

Swimming Canada’s CEO Pierre Lafontaine described the Welland Canal as perfect for open water racing, “The water conditions are stable and the spectators are able to follow the race at arms length of the field of play.

It will make for a great festival of swimming.”

The ages of the participants is determined by their age as of December 31st 2012. The events will be divided into the following age groups:

• 14-16 years Boys and Girls
• 17-18 years Boys and Girls

The individual events will include the following:

• 14-16 years 5K Boys and Girls
• 17-18 years 7.5K Boys and Girls

The mixed-gender 3K team event will comprise of 3 swimmers (either 2 boys and 1 girl or 2 girls and 1 boy) in two age categories:
• 14-16 years
• 17-18 years
• Swimmers from the younger (14-16) age group (maximum 2 swimmers) can swim in the 17-18 category

There is 1 team per Federation in each age group and 2 athletes per Federation per Event in the individual events.

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