The world of artistic swimming is about to shine even brighter with the creation of the Artistic Swimming World League in Dubai. Daria Galkina, the driving force behind this event and a former elite swimmer herself, is shaping a global stage that not only emphasizes the beauty and skill of the sport but also aligns with Dubai’s vision for sports, culture, and unity. In this interview, Galkina shares her inspiration, the significance of the 2024 edition, and the future of artistic swimming in Dubai.
Below is the full interview with Daria Galkina, where she discusses the vision behind the Artistic Swimming World League in Dubai, her inspiration for creating the event, and the unique elements of the 2024 edition, as well as her hopes for the future of the sport in the UAE and beyond.
What inspired the creation of the Artistic Swimming World League in Dubai, and how does it reflect the city’s vision for sports and culture?
I was a professional artistic swimmer and competed at the professional level myself, but throughout my career I noticed what could be done better. The Artistic Swimming World League can be seen as an initiative that promotes the idea of tolerance and sportsmanship. It opens its doors to many different nationalities and athletes from different backgrounds. The UAE and Dubai have always placed great emphasis on friendliness, hospitality and unity regardless of nationality and status. Therefore, I believe that the Artistic Swimming World League fits in well with the vision set by the Government here.
What makes this year’s event unique compared to previous editions?
The 2024 edition of the World League will be held under the theme of unity in the world of sports and fair competition without any borders. At its core, the World League aims to foster a sense of community among athletes by providing a platform for swimmers from different nations to compete and share their passion. The aim of the League is to bring together talented athletes from different backgrounds and to put the spotlight on UAE athletes, showcasing the skill and artistry of artistic swimming
Can you tell us about the international teams and athletes expected to compete?
The League will bring together more than 250 athletes from 15 countries as well as national team athletes from Great Britain, Singapore, Georgia, Italy, Azerbaijan and others. There are some new participants this year who missed out on last year’s event, including New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Croatia and Italy. This will be the first global event after the 2024 Olympics, so all the athletes are looking forward to competing.
How does artistic swimming combine athleticism and art, and why is it important to highlight in Dubai’s sports scene?
It seems that artistic swimming has always been described as a kind of theatre on the water. As simple as it may seem, it’s a very complex sport that requires a lot of swimming skills, preparation in the gym, working with acrobats and choreographers. Fortunately, Dubai has excellent facilities for this. The competition will be held at the Hamdan Sports Complex. It is the largest and most modern aquatics arena in the Middle East. After the last edition of the World League 2023, 4 of the national teams from Greece, Belarus, Ukraine, UK made a decision to prepare for the Olympics exactly in Dubai. about the UAE athletes and expatriate training in Dubai, League foster to increase the recognition of the UAE as a perfect place for professional sports and life.
Artistic swimming always seemed to be called a theatre on the water. However it might seem simple, the sports is so much complex and requires extensive swimming skills, preparation in the gym, work with acrobats and choreographers, and luckily there are excellent facilities in Dubai to practice that.
How do you envision this event fostering stronger ties between the UAE and international sporting communities?
Frankly speaking, all the professional athletes, including their coaches, and all of them love Dubai because of the world-class facilities and infrastructure of the city, the level of service and security, and the experience that you can get in Dubai apart from the training sessions.
What role does Dubai’s infrastructure and facilities play in hosting such a prestigious event?
An event like the World League can only be held in a venue that meets International and Olympic standards. The facility for the League is Hamdan Sports Complex, and both the Organizing Committee and the Complex have a great synergy in promoting the region as the best place to train and compete.
How are you engaging the local community, particularly youth, in the event and the sport of artistic swimming?
The World League is not only an event for the senior professional athletes and the players of the national teams. What is special about the League is that it is open to athletes in younger age groups-athletes who have just started their journey, but already achieved outstanding results in their age category. The youngest age to compete in the World League is 10 years old! There is no other artistic swimming event in the world with such a high level of organization that would allow young athletes to take part.
Can you describe the preparation and training required for athletes to excel in artistic swimming competitions?
Artistic swimming always seemed to be described as dancing or ballet in the water or as aquatheatre. As simple as it may seem, the sport is so complex and requires extensive swimming skills, preparation in the gym, working with acrobats and choreographers. The average number of hours of training for a professional artistic swimmer is between 6 and 10 hours a day! A lot of time is needed to master the team routines and to improve the synchronization of the movements with other 8 or 10 athletes. Each athlete has to look like a copy of the other, so the coaches use the loudspeakers above and also under water, where everyone can hear the music clearly and count the rhythm of the song to move together. All in all, artistic swimming requires a full time commitment and determination, otherwise don’t expect results.
What message do you hope to send to viewers, both in the UAE and internationally, about the importance of artistic swimming?
I have always said that my goal is to develop Artistic Swimming and to make this sport as popular as games like football. I want it to be recognised and respected around the world. At the same time, I want to encourage the young generation and youth to practice sports regularly and see the prospects of becoming a professional athlete, while showcasing UAE athletes, Emirati culture and the beauty of the region.
What are your long-term goals for the Artistic Swimming World League and its future in Dubai?
I wish that the World League will become a great competitor to the Aqua World Cups and the World Championships in terms of its organization, its goals and the prestige that the league provides to the society and especially to the young athletes. I also wish to inspire more young athletes in the UAE to practice and compete in Artistic Swimming.
(C) Latin&Gulf Magazine.-
