Olympic dream lives on for finswimming 'dolphins'

Baku, June 27, AZERTAC The campaign to introduce finswimming into the Olympic Games has not succeeded so far, but the dream lives on as far as governing body the Underwater Sports Committee (CMAS) are concerned. Spectators at the Baku Aquatics Centre were treated to a dramatic demonstration on Saturday as athletes competed in four events – 50m and 100m surface, underwater swimming (without bottles), and 100m scuba. Russia's Pavel Kabanov marked the occasion by setting a new world record in the men's 50m race. The swimmers wear a monofin, and their body movement mimics that of dolphins so successfully that when swimming in this way amongst the marine mammals, they are accepted as one of the species.