Does anyone know when or precisely where the Masters World Championships will be in 2004? I understand that Italy won the bid, but I'm wondering when the meet will be held compared to the Indy and Georgia National meets that year. Thanks.
The Meet Schedule for the FINA Masters World Championships in Riccione is now posted at the FINA Web site.
You can find it by clicking on MASTERS listed on the left side of the screen
Then RICCIONE 2004
Then "For more information go to" in the middle of the screen
Then select Schedule and GO
This is also where you can find the Qualifying Time Standards
Same location as the Qualifying Times. (see my message above)
You do not have to "Prove" that you have done times that qualify you for entering an event. Just like USMS Nationals.
You can use converted times.
If, when swimming the event in Riccione you are slower than the time standard, then you will receive a NT (no time) and will not place.
It is just like a DQ.
While I don't think that there is an "Official" travel agent for the FINA Masters World Championships, Ann Lamberson of
PONTE VEDRA TRAVEL
110 Solana Road, Suite 106
Ponte Vedra Beach, FLÂ Â 32082
800-833-7946
has handled the travel plans for USMS swimmers to most of the FINA Masters World Championships and is working on plans for Riccione, Italy.
I am not affilitated with Ponte Vedra Travel, but my husband and I used Ann Lamberson's services for our trip to the last FINA Masters World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand. We were very pleased and will probably go with Ponte Vedra again for Riccione, Italy.
BTW, World Games is a different championships altogether. It includes many other sports besides swimming. FINA Masters World Championships includes only aquatic sports (swimming, synchronized swimming, diving, water polo and open water swimming).
Times are for LCM. If you are close to the qualifying times you could fudge the numbers to make the time. However, I would suggest instead using it as a motivator during your training to make the qualifying times and thus prepare you for the meet. I would assume that the European championships were run under different rules than the World championships and that is why you don’t see the NTs.
So how do I fill out my heat sheet then if I am close to the times? Do I just fill out the sheet with wrong times and hope I make them? I am close on a number of times. Also are these times in LC or SCM?
As for the NT if you do not swim them, I had a friend who swam in this year's Masters in France. He made all his times but I did see other times that were slower then the qualifing times and they were listed with out a DQ next to them.
This meet might fit the bill for me pretty good as the time frame is good when I wanted to come to Europe for a vacation anyway.
Opps seems I made a bit of a mistake. My friend swam at the European Masters this past summer and I assumed that because it was in Italy next year it was again the European Masters.
However the questions still stand I just wanted to make sure I don't look like too much of an idiot. ;)
If you are interested in booking your FINA Masters Championship arrangements with Ponte Vedra travel, they are again offering a 10% Early Booking Discount before their brochure is printed. The deposit is $250 and is fully refundable until February 15, 2004. Go to their website
Ponte Vedra Travel
I am not affiliated with Ponte Vedra, but I have used their services for New Zealand and Montreal. I gave them a deposit for Munich and it was cheerfully refunded when I decided to make my own arrangements. They really know how to take care of Masters swimmers.
I like these standards also. I don't have ANY for our Nationals, but have one and close to another on this. Of course I have only swum once in LC and I cannot go to Italy!! Guess I will have to keep working on Indy!
