A day prior to the FINA/HOSA Marathon Swim World Series in Doha, the water was tested and approved by hundreds of local kids and adults who took the plunge at the Corniche.
As the morning training sessions of the elite finished, over 360 kids from Qatar’s schools and adults gathered for the challenge to sample the exact same experience as the world’s best swimmers participating in the Series yesterday. Families of the braves were watching from the shores with the Doha skyline in the horizon. The goal of the Open Water Challenge was to enable people of all abilities to swim the same course on Doha’s picturesque Corniche.
The exclusive experience also saw participants enjoy the same facilities and full services as the elite athletes, including the athlete pre-race call-room, the same starting platform, live athlete tracking and entering the post-race mixed zone, enabling everyone to be a world-class athlete for the day and hopefully inspire the young talents of tomorrow.
Commenting on the Open Water Challenge, President of the Qatar Swimming Association and FINA Bureau Member, Khalil al-Jabir, said: “While we aim to organise the FINA /HOSA Marathon Swim World Series to the highest possible level for all participants, our ambitions go far beyond this. We are determined to use the opportunity to grow and develop swimming by showcasing the sport to new audiences and creating an enjoyable and memorable experience for everyone.”
The women’s elite competition takes place today at 8:30am while the men’s competition is at 1.30pm.
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