First Ever Virtual Masters Nationals Becomes Massive Success

The 2020 Toyota/U.S. Masters Swimming Virtual Championships was the first ever completely virtual national championship for masters swimmers. The one-of-a-kind event drew in over 7,000 race registrations from over 1,200 swimmers, and, in just three weeks, over $30,000 were raised to support the USMS COVID-19 Relief Program.

The one-of-a-kind event caught the attention of several high-profile figures in the community such as Elizabeth Beisel and Jeff Commings.

“The Virtual Championships were the perfect way for me to reenter the world of competitive swimming,” said Beisel to U.S. Masters Swimming.

Beyond the numbers and participation from pillars in the community, Swim.com powered a revolutionary event that could change the way we think about future competition. While similar virtual events have taken place over the years, COVID-19 forced industry leaders to redesign their roadmap when thinking about competition. 

Swim.com seems to be leading the charge in innovation. Other industry players like USA Swimming, have put on their own interpretation of a virtual competition, with the absence of wearable technology.

For example in the recent Gulf Swimming FUNvitational, swimmers compete with their respective teams in a time-trial like format, then compare their results with neighboring teams in the LSC via their preferred meet management platform.

Swim.com is more focused on harnessing the power of wearable devices and their ability to deliver real-time, stroke-by-stroke results directly to the smart phone. Stroke analysis aside, Swim.com is also focused on connecting swimmers and coaches via clubs and a social activity feed akin to social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter.

Swim.com will continue to innovate and deliver the best possible swimming experience for all swimmers all around the world, through the time of COVID and beyond.

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