An Introduction to Open Water Swimming
Open water swimming reached a new level of international exposure by becoming an official event at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Open water swimming offers the purest form of racing, where athletes are racing against their fellow competitors and not the clock. Race strategies, along with the conditions, are constantly changing which makes adaptability a key skill. Each race varies in length and course design, especially at the local level. USA Swimming’s Zone Championships feature a 5K and our national and international level events feature a 5K, 7.5K, 10K, and a 25K.
The USA Swimming Open Water Nationals and Junior National Championships are held in early April.
The Western Zone Open Water Championships are held in September.
For more information about these open water championship meets check out the Montana Swimming meet page or the USA Swimming events page at https://www.usaswimming.org/events.
Resources:
Open Water Swim Essentials here
Tips for Practicing Open Water in the Pool PDF
How to Build and Open Water Feeding Pole PDF
Structuring Your Open Water Workout PDF
Safety Management for Open Water Workouts PDF
Open Water Workout Examples PDF
USA Swimming National Team Hub: https://www.usaswimming.org/swimmers-parents/swimmers/open-water#national-team-hub
Meet Resources: https://www.usaswimming.org/swimmers-parents/swimmers/open-water#meet-resources
Open Water Meet Management 101 PDF
Emergency Action Plan Checklist PDF
Open Water Meet Announcement Template (2020) PDF
Officiating Open Water:
Open Water Officials Information: https://www.usaswimming.org/officials/popular-resources/open-water-officials
