FINA World Swimming Championships Kicks Off in Abu Dhabi

The FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) kicked off and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) released a fascinating time-lapse video on the construction of the FINA pool at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena.

With the support of a high-skilled and experienced workforce of 25 professionals from pool design specialists – Myrtha Pools, who were flown in from Italy, the championship’s main pool and warm-up pool were installed in just 14 days, transforming the MENA region’s largest state-of-the-art indoor entertainment establishment into a purpose-built swimming venue.

The aquatics festival got underway with the Mixed Relay (4 x 1500m) open water swim competition. Victory in the inaugural open water mixed team relay went to Italy, as the team, led by swimming sensation Gregorio Paltrinieri, soared to take home gold in the Yas Bay waters. His split of 15:49.1 was the fastest of the 9 teams. He swam 3.2 seconds faster than Hungary's Kristof Rasovszky who doggedly challenged him in the final lap.

This week, over 1,100 athletes representing over 180 national federations from across the globe will be competing at Yas Island, in an exhilarating competition that is expected to be watched by more than thousands of spectators inside the venue and millions worldwide.