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EDITOR & FOUNDEREd Hula PUBLISHERSheila Scott Hula EUROPEAN EDITORMark Bisson EDITORIAL STAFFEdward Hula III, Assignment EditorMatthew Grayson, Associate EditorKaren Rosen, ReporterChristian Radnedge, ReporterAaron Bauer, Editorial Assistant

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A Note from the Publisher

It hardly seems like two years have passed since we were asked to partner with the first FINA World Aquatics Convention in Punta del Este, Uruguay. We’re pleased to be here again in Moscow, which increasingly feels like the center of the sporting world.

We’re also pleased to present our second special edition publication for the FINA Convention, featuring articles by the Around the Rings team.

As you read through this magazine, you’ll find our latest interview with FINA chief Julio Maglione, previews of the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona and 2014 World Swimming Championships (25m) in Istanbul as well as a look back at London 2012 from the Olympians, Paralympians, officials and coaches who were closest to the action.

Who could forget – who would want to – Michael Phelps and his final swim? He may have been the

biggest story of the Games, but he certainly wasn’t the only one. British diver Tom Daley “only” won bronze, but he may have embodied the Olympic spirit better than anyone in his pride at being on the podium alongside the best in the world.

With all due respect to London 2012, I don’t think anywhere will ever equal Barcelona as the “city of water” in my mind. Barcelona 1992 was my first Olympic Games, and it was marked by stunning performances in swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and the last event of the Games – a water polo match between Italy and Spain.

Next year, the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona will reuse three of the five venues from the 2003 edition … some of which were showpieces in 1992. It will be a sentimental journey to Palau St Jordi and Montjuic.

We hope you enjoy this magazine. See you in Doha at the next FINA World Aquatics Convention in 2014. n

Welcome to Moscow! Sheila Scott Hula, Publisher

Ed Hula, Editor and Sheila Scott Hula, Publisher

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The Big Interview with Julio Maglione

In the meantime, Maglione discusses some of the issues now facing FINA.

Around the Rings: How will this week in Moscow differ from last time around?

Julio Maglione: After the first edition of the Convention in Punta del Este, Uruguay, we have conducted a post-event survey in which we asked the participants their feedback and their wishes for the next editions. We have received many comments and suggestions, and we try this year in Moscow to meet these expectations. They were namely the introduction of workshops, more time to interact outside the Convention period, and more practical discussions on National Federations’ development and administration issues. To give more value to the Convention, we have also added the FINA Gold Medal Swimming Coaches Clinic, to which we invited many of the coaches with gold medalist athletes at the recent 2012 Olympic Games in London.

ATR: What are FINA’s hopes and expectations for the Coaches Clinic?

JM: Taking into account the level of the lecturers and the successful trajectory of the coaches invited to the clinic, I am sure that this initiative will be a huge milestone. With their experience and their knowledge, these coaches will be able to share their winning strategies with all the delegates. In order to ensure that the message is spread all around the world, FINA covers all the expenses for one coach from each National Federation to attend the clinic, as it is the case for one delegate during the Convention.

ATR: What’s on tap for the FINA Bureau in Moscow?

JM: The main issue will be the analysis of the proposals coming from our Committees and National Federations to be presented at the 2013 Technical Congresses in Barcelona. Other issues will naturally include the follow-up of our other competitions, and the establishment of the rules for our new discipline – high diving – which will make its entry in the program of the 2013

FINA World Championships, after a 2013 World Series circuit organized in partnership with Red Bull.

ATR: What is your evaluation of the aquatics competition at the London 2012 Olympics?

JM: Superb, at all levels – the performances, the venues, the organization, the enthusiasm of the fans, the exposure of aquatics. FINA disciplines demonstrated once more that they are a pillar of the Olympic program and bring an outstanding added value to the Games. I can recall the nine world records in swimming, the end of the brilliant career of the best Olympian ever, Michael Phelps, the Aquatics Center and the Water Polo Arena sold out for most of the sessions, the emergence of new stars, the thrilling games in the water polo tournaments, the expectations surrounding the performance of national hero Tom Daley in diving, the beauty of the synchro events, and the superbly well organized marathon

swimming races at Hyde Park.

ATR: Whose idea was the trophy presented to Michael Phelps, and why?

JM: Michael Phelps is already a worldwide legend in swimming. His 22 Olympic medals (including 18 gold) will be the target to beat, and the one that will last, in my opinion, for many decades. His career is unique, his performances are magnificent and his versatility in the pool will long be remembered. Besides that, he is a great human being, ready to share his charisma with the

children. He is a true inspiration to all sportsmen and his legacy to swimming is enormous. He is the greatest Olympic athlete ever, and FINA decided to thank and congratulate him after his announcement of retirement in London. The trophy ceremony in London was modest if compared with the magnitude of Phelps’ feats in over one decade of incomparable success.

ATR: Will you stand for re-election as FINA president next year?

JM: After having received the support of many continental associations and many National Federations, I decided to run for a second term as FINA President in 2013. It is a great honor for me to see that our work since 2009 has been widely appreciated. It is also an enormous responsibility to know that in the period 2013-2017, we must do even better. But we are ready to work, as always, for the benefit of FINA and its National Member Federations, and for the enhancement of the popularity and importance of our five aquatic disciplines on a global scale. n

President Julio Maglione tells Around the Rings the FINA family “must do even better” from 2013 to 2017, a period for which he will seek re-election next year.Interview by Ed Hula

Julio Maglione presents Michael Phelps with FINA’s “Greatest Olympic Athlete of All Time” trophy after his final swim in London. (Getty Images)

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Shanghai swim coach David Lyles tells Around the Rings “the feeling was different this time” as the Brit led five Chinese athletes to the 2012 Olympic Games.“In Athens and Sydney, I was representing my own country, but this time I was coaching a foreign team,” says Lyles, 46, admitting London was “less enjoyable” because he had so many swimmers competing.

Two of them, Jiang Haiqi and Dai Jun, won bronze medals in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay while another, female breaststroker Ji Liping, made the 200m final. Regarding the differences among the Games at which he’s coached, Lyles claims his home country organized one of the best. “From my personal experience, Sydney was better than Athens, where there was outdoor competition,” he recalls. “I have been to some competitions before where I had some problems, but I didn’t have one single problem in London.”What most impressed Lyles were the world-class training facilities.

“They offered three 50-meter pools in a building side-by-side,” he raves.

“Swimmers could train 30 at a time, which has never happened before.”

Training Facilities Wow Coach - Written by Tencent’s Norman Li

David Lyles and his swimmers in

Olympic Village. (Tencent)

The new head of the African Swimming Confederation

tells Around the Rings he’s “very encouraged” by the

parity on display in the pools of London 2012.

“The Olympics delivered a very large spread of medals,

and that is indicative of development in other parts of

the world,” says Sam Ramsamy.

A record 166 countries competed across the five

aquatics disciplines with 23 of them medaling, a number

on par with past Games.

“Although everyone didn’t make the podium, the

number of athletes from various countries that made

it into the finals was very commendable,” adds the

South African, elected in September to the presidency

of CANA – and to another four years as a FINA vice

president.

Ramsamy singles out the performance of Australia, whose

swimmers won just 10 medals and one gold for their worst

Olympics haul since 1992, as proof of his sport’s newfound parity.

“I don’t think it’s a result of Australia going down,” he tells ATR.

“I think it’s a result of other countries catching up with Australia,

and that’s what we want.”

Praise for Olympics Parity

- Written by Matthew Grayson

After claiming men’s 1500m gold in Beijing , Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia finished third in London but won the 10km marathon swim. (Getty Images)

Looking Back on

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Swimmers tell Around the Rings they are quick to give the London Paralympics a

gold medal.

“I couldn’t have had a better couple weeks,” says Mary

Fisher, who won a gold, two silvers and a bronze at

the Games.

The 19-year-old from New Zealand praised LOCOG for

getting “all the tiny details” correct.

“There’s always somewhere to train, and then the racing

facilities are perfect,” she said. “You couldn’t ask for

anything better.”

“It really has been amazing,” echoed bronze medalist Hendri

Herbst of South Africa. “I think it’s a really good pool.”

When asked for his favorite part of the Games, Herbst had a

simple answer: “everything.”

Speaking for his swimmer Cecilia Camellini, coach

Alessandro Cocchi said the Paralympics were “perfect at

all times.”

“I know that the athletes are relaxed, and it’s a beautiful experience,”

the Italian added.

“The [training] pools at Eton Manor are perfect.”

Two notable aspects of the Paralympics that all swimmers found impressive were the

size and enthusiasm of the crowds.

“They’re genuinely interested and really excited for every athlete that’s made it to the

Games,” Fisher told ATR.

Paralympics “Perfect at All Times”

- Written by Ed Hula III

Zhang Yanquan in Olympic Village. (Tencent)

Born blind, Cecilia Camellin of Italy won two gold medals in world record time as well as two bronze. (Getty Images)

London 2012Zhang Yanquan tells Around the Rings he could not be more pleased after leaving his first Olympics a champion.The 18-year-old Chinese diver, who won gold in men’s 10m synchronized platform, admits his time at the Games was a “perfect experience”.

Still, he and partner Cao Yuan faced quite the challenge competing in the Aquatics Center on Olympic Park.“I was very nervous in the final because the event included home favorite Tom Daley,” he recalls. “The crowd was very loud while they were diving, so it brought us lots of pressure.”After only two trips to London, Zhang says the city already feels like his second home.

“I was there at the beginning of the year for the World Cup, so

we were very familiar with the venue and facilities when we were competing at the Olympics,” he tells ATR. “The Games were fantastic. I had a chance to live in the Village, where I could meet lots of athletes from different events.

“It will become the best memory of my life and will motivate me to work harder in the future.”

Once in a Lifetime- Written by Tencent’s Norman Li

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Long Start List for Istanbul Short-Course Worlds

“Our Turkish friends are doing fantastic work in preparing this event, and I am sure that athletes, coaches, officials, and media representatives will have optimal conditions to deliver great performances in Istanbul,” FINA President Julio Maglione tells Around the Rings.

“This exciting metropolis is used to hosting major international sport events, and the entire FINA Family will certainly keep the best possible memories from these championships.”

Maglione cites the financial assistance provided by FINA for participation at Istanbul 2012 – with athletes and officials being provided travel and full-board accommodation expenses – as one of the key factors in the growth of these so-called “short-course” world champs.

With the exception of Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2004, every

edition has featured a sizeable increase in the number of athletes attending. Dubai 2010 drew a record 786 swimmers from 153 countries, numbers Istanbul 2012 should easily top.

“Over the years, the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) has become an essential rendezvous in our calendar,” Maglione tells ATR.

“The fixation of its organization in December on every even year culminates the short-course season with a great competition, attended by many stars of the pools. Great champions and superb performances are now part of the history of these championships, and this tradition will certainly continue.”

Competition in Istanbul runs from Dec. 12 to 16 at Sinan Erdem Dome, the third largest multi-purpose indoor arena in Europe with seating for up to 22,500.

The program mimics that of swimming at the Summer Olympics with the addition of 50m breast, 50m fly, 50m back as well as 100m IM races and the exclusion of open-water events. Mixed relays may also be contested pending a successful pilot during the ongoing FINA World Cup. n

Istanbul 2012 expects more than 800 athletes from 160+ countries for the 11th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m).Written by Matthew Grayson

Sinan Erdem Dome, named after the National Olympic Committee of Turkey’s former president, is Europe’s third largest multi-purpose indoor arena. (Getty Images)

2014, 2016, Beyondn Doha will host the 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) at the Aquatics Center inside Aspire Sports Complex. The capital of Qatar will also stage the 3rd FINA World Aquatics Convention on the sidelines of the short-course world champs.

n During the 2012 World Swimming Championships (25m) in Istanbul, FINA will decide the hosts of the 2016 and possibly 2018 short-course world champs. Though eight national federations initially expressed interest back in July, only Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates (city to be confirmed) and a joint bid from Windsor, Canada and Detroit, Michigan submitted formal candidatures by the Oct. 15 deadline. Voting tops the agenda for a Dec. 11 meeting of the FINA Bureau. “If two bids are judged capable,” says FINA, “the Bureau will award the organization of the two editions at the same time.”

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10 Years Later, Barcelona Still a “City of Water”

That’s because three of the four venues will be the same as 10 years before when Spain’s biggest city last hosted the FINA showpiece.

Swimming is again in Palau St Jordi and diving in Piscina Municipal de Montjuïc. Open water events move from Port Vell to Moll de la Fusta and water polo from Club de Natació de Barcelona to Bernat Picornell Pool, venue for synchronized swimming last time around. Synchro shares the stage with swimming in Palau St Jordi this go round.

“After a fantastic organization in 2003, Barcelona is again ready to become the ‘city of water,’” FINA President Julio Maglione tells Around the Rings.

“The organizing committee is ready to deliver an outstanding championship, where sport, culture and social events will be gathered to once more make our main event a true ‘Aquatic Festival’.”

Maglione dismisses concerns that Spain’s economic challenges could compromise the success of the championships, insisting he has all the necessary assurances that FINA is Barcelona’s priority for 2013.

“The venues will be excellent and the promotion around the event started already in 2011,” he says.

“Everyone in the city is aware of the championships, and we will surely have full-house venues to witness the performances of our pool and open water swimmers, divers, water polo players and synchronized swimmers.”

Competition runs July 19 to Aug. 4 with an estimated 2,500 athletes; 2,400 volunteers; and 2,200 journalists taking part.

With the help of host broadcaster TVE, organizers also hope to attract more than the 3.5 billion TV viewers across five continents who tuned in to watch Rome 2009 and Shanghai 2011.

If a decade ago is any indication, Barcelona 2013 could make quite the splash. n

Veteran athletes might just have déjà vu at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona.Written by Matthew Grayson

2013 will mark the 10th anniversary of the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona. (Getty Images)

2015, 2017, Beyondn Kazan, Russia, will host the 2015 FINA World Aquatics Championships at venues built for the 2013 Summer Universaide. New Rubin Kazan Stadium will stage swimming with diving, synchronized swimming and water polo finals bound for Kazan Aquatic Sports Palace; water polo preliminaries for a temporary arena; and open-water swimming for the rowing center at Middle Kaban lake.

n Guadalajara, Mexico, will host the 2017 FINA World Aquatics Championships at venues built for the 2011 Pan American Games. Scotiabank Aquatics Center will stage swimming, diving and synchronized swimming with water polo bound for Telcel Tennis Complex and open-water events for Puerto Vallarta.

n During the 2013 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, the FINA Bureau will decide the hosts of the 2019 and possibly 2021 world champs. Oct. 22 was the deadline for interested National Federations to notify FINA of their intention to be involved in the bid process.

FINA Events Calendar2012 Nov. 2-3 FINA/ARENA Swimming World cup 2012 #6 Beijing, china Nov. 6-7 FINA/ARENA Swimming World cup 2012 #7 Tokyo, Japan Nov. 8-10 2nd FINA World Diving coaches conference Tlanepantla, Mexico Nov. 10-11 FINA/ARENA Swimming World cup 2012 #8 Singapore Nov. 30-Dec. 2 7th FINA Synchronized Swimming World Trophy Tultitlan, Mexico Dec. 1-9 1st FINA World Youth Water Polo championships Perth, Australia Dec. 12-16 11th FINA World Swimming championships (25m) Istanbul, Turkey

2013 June 20-30 17th Mediterranean Games Mersin, Turkey July 6-17 27th Summer Universiade Kazan, Russia July 19-Aug. 4 15th FINA World Aquatics championships Barcelona, Spain August TBA 4th FINA World Junior Swimming championships casablanca, Morocco Aug. 26-Sept. 1 17th FINA World Junior Water Polo championships Sopron, Hungary

2014 July 18-Aug. 1 22nd central American and caribbean Games Veracruz, Mexico July 23-Aug. 3 20th commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland July 27-Aug. 10 15th FINA World Masters championships Montreal, canada Aug. 16-28 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games Nanjing, china Sept. 19-Oct. 4 17th Asian Games Incheon, South Korea December TBA 12th FINA World Swimming championships (25m) Doha, Qatar December TBA 3rd FINA World Aquatics convention Doha, Qatar

2015 July 3-14 28th Summer Universiade Gwanju, South Korea July 19-Aug. 2 16th FINA World Aquatics championships Kazan, Russia

2016 Aug. 5-21 31st Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2017 July 15-30 17th FINA World Aquatics championships Guadalajara, Mexico