Aquatic Timing Systems and FINA

Swimming races used to start off with the shot of a pistol. Now, aquatic timing systems are used in about every pool around the nation. They are used to automate the process of timing, judging, and scoring. Not only are they used for competitive swimming races, but they are also used for diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming. The automated timing systems may also have many added-on products to help swimmers train.

Although it may not seem like a very big market, there is more than one producer of the systems. They include: Colorado Time Systems, Daktronics, Omega/Swiss Timing, ALGE Timing, International Sports Timing, and Take Your Mark Timing Systems. As a high school swimmer, you become familiarized to Daktronics, Omega/Swiss Timing and International Sports Timing.

Displayed on the board will be the swimmer’s name by lane, along with their race time, current placing and scores for the meet. The time displayed is most often used to one hundredth of a second, but sometimes the race will get as close as a thousandth of a second.

Not only does the use of aquatic timing systems play a big role in competitive swimming, but so does FINA. Mentioned in previous posts, FINA stands for Fédération Internationale de Natation. FINA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee for administering international competition in the aquatic sports (its name translated from French is "International Swimming Federation").

FINA currently oversees competition in five aquatic sports which include: swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo and open water swimming.

At the end of the 1908 Summer Olympics, FINA was founded in the Manchester Hotel in London, UK. Those that founded it were by the Belgian, British, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, and Swedish swimming confederations. It grew from 8 federations in 1908 to 197 in 2008. In 2010 the 202^nd member was added: Tonga.

The members are grouped by continent of which they choose. The five continental associations are as follows: Africa (African Swimming Confederation—CANA) with 51 members, Americas (Swimming Union of the Americas—ASUA) with 41 members, Asia (Asian Amateur Swimming Federation—AASF) with 43 members, Europe (European Swimming League—LEN) with 51 members and Oceania (Oceania Swimming Association—OSA) with 16 members.

The FINA membership meets every four years, usually coinciding with the World Championships. These meetings are very alike to our governmental congress. There are two types of normal or "ordinary" congress: General and Technical. FINA’s highest authority is the General Congress. Any technical issues concerning FINA’s five aquatic disciplines are decided by the Technical Congress. Each Congress has two voting members from each Member federation, plus the following non-voting members: the 22 members of the Bureau, the Honorary Life President, and all Honorary Members.

The Technical Congress has the following additional non-voting members: all members from the respective Technical Committees. "Extraordinary" Congress are also called from time to time, to deal with a specific topic or area of concern All Congress meetings are chaired by FINA's president.

Between Congress meetings of the entire membership, a smaller 22-member representative board, called the FINA Bureau, meets to act in a timely manner on things that cannot wait until the entire body can meet. It is the Bureau that elects the FINA Executive Officers.

Various committees and commission also help with the oversight of individual disciplines or topic-related issues.