U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) and Pacific Masters Swimming are sponsoring the Open Water Swimming Conference in San Francisco this weekend where walk-up, same-day registrations are available. USMS Executive Director Rob Butcher explains, “The conference is an educational and resource platform for open water event directors. The majority of the speakers and panelists are associated with USMS-sanctioned events, but we have invited others from USA Triathlon, U.S. Lifesaving Association and non aquatic disciplines so we can better learn safety principles in the open water.”The principles of open water safety are even going to receive a bigger boost from the leadership and vision of U.S. Masters Swimming. Rob explains the long-term goals, “The USMS Foundation is purchasing and installing a climate-controlled pool that will be put at the Indiana University Bloomington campus for the Councilman Center for Swimming. The pool will allow Indiana University researchers to study the effects of cold water swimming, warm water swimming, hot water swimming, etc. and how that will impact swimmers of all ages and abilities.”
This research – something that open water swimmers have been dreaming of and hoping for over the decades – is finally coming to fruition with the help of USMS. There are so many important research possibilities and empirical information to gather (some examples are posted here) that the sport of open water swimming will be much better off for this vision, effort and investment.
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