The Fina World Championships are in Barcelona. Palau Sant Jordi is packed with swimming fanatics from all over the world. In the clear sparkling water the athletes compete. The press area is enormous, but still the journalists line up and push each other aside to get their microphone upfront. What if Barcinno was part of it and had the opportunity to ask some questions to the world champions?
What did you think about your experience swimming in Barcelona? Did it enlighten you to come up with new and creative ideas? How about a new swimming move? Spinning around, swimming with multiple obstacles such as real fish and rocks or perhaps using webbed gloves and shoes. And isn’t it getting boring, swimming in water? When can we expect dry water? Or perhaps in the air, where the swimmers can balance in a magnetic field. It would provide a fantastic view, which lasts longer than those famous diving pictures from Montjuïc.
Also the categories are open for some new dimensions, don’t you think? Always the same linear process from 50m, 100m or 200m is a quite narrow perspective. Perhaps, with help of sensors, the movements of the synchronized swimmers can be caught in different colors, turning the pool into a gigantic canvas. Competitions might be in classical art, modernist paintings and expressionism. Or combining swimming with health. Performing at top level asks a lot of one’s body. Society wants to be healthier. We try to monitor our diets and promote healthy behavior everywhere. So how about, who can swim hardest at the lowest heart rate?
And what about the energy? Isn’t there a way to capture all of the energy a swimmer puts in the water? And then factor in all the transportation, the flying schedules from championship to championship for the swimmers, staff, press, supporters… thousands of people have to move all the time. That is not a very sustainable policy. Isn’t it much “greener” if everyone could swim for their own republic, without leaving their home country? Through hologram technology the other lanes could be digitally populated with the competition.
For now, there is no business model- nor foreseen innovation. It’s still in the pipeline of advancing technologies in fabrics and sensors. The sport remains the way it always was. As far as the future of swimming is concerned, we’ll just have to wait and see how it develops. For now, it’s great to have a look at the talent gathered in Barcelona and watch them perform at the highest imaginable level.
My recommendation: check out the finals this weekend!
Image credit: bcn2013.com
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