News

16.12.2011

V International Vladimir Salnikov Cup Swimming Tournament

Top swimmers from around the world will gather in the St. Petersburg Swimming Centre located at 10 Ulitsa Khlopina on 17 and 18 December to compete for the tournament’s anniversary Cup. On 18 December, next-generation swimsuits to be worn by athletes during the Olympic Games will be unveiled for the first time in Russia as part of the tournament. Two Silver Sharks, created by well-known St. Petersburg sculptor Alexei Arkhipov, will be awarded to winners of the final races. 

This year, the Vladimir Salnikov Cup will welcome more than 330 athletes from 11 countries. The largest team comes from St. Petersburg, with 73 swimmers. “This year, the Cup will be celebrating its anniversary. We are taking inventory of our achievements for the last five years. Step by step, we have tried to catch the attention of athletes, reporters, and partners in order to advance the sport and popularise swimming among wider audiences. I think we have succeeded”, said President of the All-Russian Swimming Federation and four-time Olympic champion Vladimir Salnikov.

Today, the events calendar of the LEN (Ligue Européenne de Natation – the European Swimming League) lists the Cup among top-level international tournaments. Russia’s all-star team includes the following: six-time world record holder and Captain of the Russian national swimming team Evgeny Korotyshkin; world champion (2011), three-time second place world championship finalist (2009, 2011), three-time European champion, and multiple Russian champion Anastasia Zueva, who has recently set a Russian record (50m backstroke in 26.23 seconds); winner of the 100m freestyle race at the 2011 European Swimming Championship Sergei Fesikov; silver medallist at the Beijing Olympic Games Evgeny Lagunov; multiple European and world champion Yulia Yefimova.

The international team is led by two-time Olympic champion, two-time world champion, and multiple European champion Britta Steffen from Germany; world champion Cameron van der Burgh from South Africa; Norwegian swimmer Alexander Dale Oen; and silver medallist of the Beijing Olympics, world champion, two-time European champion, winner of world championships, and champion of the Pan American Games Randall Bal from the USA, who also won the Salnikov Cup in 2007. 

The races will be held in the main pool of the Swimming Centre. The programme will include a total of 34 competitions. The tournament traditionally includes the ‘Salnikov distance’ – a 1,500m freestyle race of the type that Vladimir Salnikov won Olympic champion titles and attained world records in. According to the rules of this version of the race, the swimmer with the worst time is eliminated every 100 metres, beginning at the 1,000m mark. The Vladimir Salnikov Cup will be Russia’s last short-distance swimming competition of the year. “Judging by the announced list of athletes, we fully expect the Cup to see new world records”, added Chief Judge of the Vladimir Salnikov Cup Competitions Alexander Mironov. 

The tournament is held with the support of the Government of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Swimming Federation. Additional support is provided by sponsors. “Today, the Salnikov Cup performs several functions: it offers the opportunity to discover new talent; provides the excitement that stems from seeing the world’s top swimmers engaged in friendly competition; and has a show-stopping quality that makes swimming – the most popular and healthy sport – so entertaining. For the fifth year in a row, top swimmers from the US, Germany, Norway, and other countries gather to compete for the Sharks. This is a good indicator of the level on which the entire competition is organized”, said Director of the Vladimir Salnikov Cup Competitions Yulia Martina, summing up the results of the last five years.

The opening ceremony will take place on 17 December at 17:00. The award ceremony will take place on 18 December at 20:00, at the main pool. Morning races from 10:00 to 12:00. Finals from 17:00 to 20:00.  Free admission. After the awards ceremony, Rossi’s Club, located at 1/3 Ulitsa Zodchego Rossi, will host the presentation of a new swimsuit collection by Speedo. Press accreditation is mandatory.

Additional information:

A flash zone where reporters can meet their favourite athletes during the event will be set up at the main pool of the Swimming Centre.

The V International Vladimir Salnikov Cup Swimming Tournament will be broadcast on the official tournament site www.salnikovcup.ru, the Rossiya 2 television channel, the Sportbox.ru web portal, and on the Internet television channel Piter TV.

Catch the broadcasts on 17 December from 17:00 to 20:00, and on 18 December from 17:00 to 20:40.

Accreditation and media relations:

Erzhena Batotsyrenova, +7 921 320 48 02

Maria Zagovora, +7 921 412 02 60

press@salnikovcup.ru