With most in-person swim meets and races getting cancelled this summer, virtual competitions are proving to be an enticing alternative for elite and casual athletes alike. Swim.com and U.S. Masters Swimming, are pioneering the creation of a virtual racing experience for all types of swimmers in the era of COVID-19 and beyond.
Current virtual swimming competitions are limited — and those that do exist, require the labor-intensive act of manually emailing race directors or uploading results to a meet hosting platform. Swim.com is aiming to transform the virtual swimming experience into a seamless experience that harnesses the power of wearable technology and motion sensors, while providing flexibility for easy manual uploads via smartphones.
While e-racing has been gaining momentum in sports like cycling and running on platforms like Zwift, swimming is now making the shift towards the virtual sphere. Partnering with U.S. Masters Swimming, Swim.com is powering the first-ever 2020 Toyota USMS Virtual Championships, running August 12-23. The event will feature a variety of pool-based competitions at varying distances as well as open water races. Details on the event and specific race distances can be found here. 
“We were already heading in this direction with the Swim.com platform but the impact of COVID-19 on swimming pools and competitions accelerated our focus and development”, said Swim.com President, John Anthony.
“Our strategic partnership with Swim.com is creating an opportunity to greatly reduce the barriers for swimmers to compete against each other. While we look forward to the return of in-pool competitions, these virtual competitions give every one of our members the opportunity to participate safely without the need to travel or attend crowded events. It’s a game changer.”, said Dawson Hughes, CEO of U.S. Masters Swimming.
“This championship is the latest project that has come out of our partnership with Swim.com, following our successful integration of members’ My USMS and Swim.com accounts and launch of our enhanced Workout Library.” 
To support swimmers and coaches leading up to this event and during the virtual championship, Swim.com is releasing a number of new features focused on Open Water swim tracking, Challenges and Smart Workouts. “We are giving coaches and swimmers new tools to improve the overall swimming experience. Swimming can be highly structured and, more recently, isolated, so we are focused on delivering fresh, new experiences that keep swimmers and coaches connected and engaged,” said John Anthony.
To learn more about each of these new features, visit The Swim.com Blog.
For more information U.S. Masters Swimming, visit www.usms.org.
