PR 51 - FINA Technical Congresses: Open Water Swimming and Water Polo

The FINA Open Water Swimming and Water Polo Technical Congresses took place today in Budapest (HUN), and approved the new rules of the respective disciplines for the period 2017-2021.

In Open Water Swimming, the three main changes were:

- Removal of the Chief Race Judge’s role, as this position is no longer required;

- Recognition of the Chief Referee’s role as the primary official responsible for the conduct of the competition;

- Terminology consistency in all rules relating to the finish wall.

At the Water Polo Congress, the delegates approved the Bureau’s recommendation to only validate the rules related with the recent IOC decision to increase the number of teams in the women’s Olympic tournament, from eight to 10.

This was accompanied by the reduction of each national squad composition (for both men and women), from 13 to 11 players.

The Congress delegates approved the necessary adjustments in the rules concerning this change, only applicable at Olympic level.

After the Magyar rendezvous, the Bureau approved the organisation of a FINA World Water Polo Conference until the end of 2017 to discuss and propose new ways of enhancing the first Olympic team sport in the five continents. Taking into account the outcome of this gathering and after receiving the updated proposals by the new Technical Water Polo Committee to be nominated in Budapest, FINA will call an Extraordinary Congress to validate these changes by the end of 2018.

Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA)

The Fédération Internationale de Natation, founded in 1908, is the governing body for aquatics worldwide. FINA's five discipline Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Synchronised Swimming - are all included in the Olympic programme. High Diving made its first appearance in FINA events at the 2013 FINA World Championships. FINA counts 208 affiliated National Federations on the five continents and has its headquarters in Lausanne (SUI).

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