Courtesy of Christine Jennings.
American national open water swim team member Christine Jennings is currently gathering data from professional marathon swimmers and coaches for her research paper during her master’s degree program.
Jennings posted a survey (here) for professional marathon swimmers to express their opinions on the sport. “I appreciate any feedback you can give me for the improvement of FINA and the sport of open water swimming. It is intended only for research use for my final paper in the MSA Sports Administration and Technology program that I am attending in Switzerland.”
The questions on the survey include the following:
1. What year did you start competing on an international level in open water marathon swimming?
2. Where was your first open water race?
3. Do you see the sport of Open Water Swimming growing and improving during this next Olympic cycle (before Tokyo 2020)? Please explain. Why? Why not?
4. What do you want to see change, if any, in the sport this next Olympic cycle? Please explain.
5. What are your feelings towards the development of the sport?
6. Mass Participation Swimming is quickly growing.
7. Competition Swimming is growing worldwide.
8. FINA EVENT: I feel safe competing here as an athlete.
9. I fully understand the risks and potential dangers associated with the sport.
10. Either myself or my federation coach fully understands the safety plan and the implementation of it for this race.
11. I received appropriate and sufficient information about safety protocol prior to an event.
12. I felt that I understood the risks and potential dangers on the course.
13. I felt that I understood the risks and potential dangers of the water.
14. I felt that I understood the risks and potential dangers of the structure of the event.
15. I received appropriate and sufficient information about safety plans and protocols prior to an event.
16. I felt fully able to withdraw from a competition before and during a race.
17. Sufficient changes have been made to mitigate and foresee risks in order to keep myself and other athletes from harm.
18. These changes have been enforced in FINA events.
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