72 Swim4Dreams – 3 KM Knockout Sprint

72 Swim4Dreams – 3 km Knockout Sprint is an open water swimming race held in a knockout format, across three successive rounds:

• Round 1: 1,500 m
• Semifinals: 1,000 m
• Final: 500 m

An athlete who reaches the Final will have swum a total of 3,000 m.

The race format is based on the international 3 km Knockout Sprint concept and is adapted by 72 Swim4Dreams through its own qualification system based on the best times achieved in each round.

Round times are not cumulative. Each round is a distinct race.

The maximum number of participants is 40 athletes.

The race format is: 40 → 20 → 10 → Final.

Round 1 is held in two heats:

• Heat 1 – maximum 20 athletes
• Heat 2 – maximum 20 athletes

If the total number of participants is fewer than 40, athletes will be distributed as evenly as possible between the two heats.

Each athlete will swim a distance of 1,500 m.

Allocation will aim to produce two heats as evenly matched as possible.

Where official times, rankings or reference results exist, the organizer may use a seeding system.

Athletes without reference results may be allocated by draw.

The composition of the heats will be communicated before the race.

Under normal conditions, Heat 2 will start approximately 3 minutes after the start of Heat 1.

The interval may be adjusted by the Head Referee for technical, safety, or course-configuration reasons.

The organizer will aim to keep the interval between the two heats as short as possible, to limit differences in racing conditions and recovery time.

After both heats finish, a single overall ranking is compiled based on the official times achieved by all participants.

The best 20 times qualify for the semifinals.

Qualification does not depend on the athlete's placing within their own heat.

Thus, an athlete who finishes 11th in a heat may still qualify if their time is among the best 20 times of Round 1.

The 20 qualified athletes will be allocated to:

• Semifinal 1 – 10 athletes
• Semifinal 2 – 10 athletes

Each athlete will swim a distance of 1,000 m.

Allocation to the semifinals will be based on the Round 1 ranking, using a seeding system aimed at balancing the two semifinals.

To ensure the fairest possible conditions, the first semifinal may not start earlier than 15 minutes after the arrival of the last athlete to qualify for the semifinals.

The last qualifying athlete means the last of the 20 athletes officially declared qualified based on the Round 1 ranking.

The 15 minutes represent the minimum guaranteed time for:

• leaving the finish area
• result validation
• hydration
• recovery
• reporting for the semifinal

The Head Referee may extend the recovery time if the situation requires it.

The minimum time set out in this regulation may not be reduced.

Under normal conditions, Semifinal 2 will start approximately 3 minutes after the start of Semifinal 1.

The organizer will aim to keep the interval between the two semifinals as short as possible, so the recovery-time difference between athletes is minimal.

After both semifinals finish, a single overall ranking of the 1,000 m round is compiled.

The best 10 times qualify for the Final.

Qualification is determined solely on the basis of times achieved, regardless of which semifinal the athlete competed in.

There is no predetermined number of qualifiers from each semifinal.

The Final may not start earlier than 15 minutes after the arrival of the last athlete to qualify for the Final from the second semifinal.

Under this rule, every finalist is guaranteed a minimum of 15 minutes of recovery before the decisive race.

Athletes from the first semifinal will naturally benefit from a few additional minutes of recovery. This difference is inherent to the Knockout format and is limited by the short interval between the two semifinals.

The Head Referee may extend the recovery time for reasons of safety, weather conditions, timing issues, protests, or other exceptional circumstances.

10 athletes take part in the Final.

The Final distance is 500 m.

All 10 finalists start simultaneously.

Times achieved in previous rounds are not cumulative and provide no advantage in the Final.

The Final starts from zero.

The finishing order in the 500 m Final determines the final ranking of the top 10 athletes.

The winner of the Final becomes the winner of the race: 72 Swim4Dreams – 3 km Knockout Sprint 2027.

The race ranking is established as follows:

Places 1–10 — based on the results of the 500 m Final.

Places 11–20 — athletes eliminated in the semifinals, ranked by their 1,000 m time.

Places 21–40 — athletes eliminated after Round 1, ranked by their 1,500 m time.

Times achieved over different distances are not compared to one another.

In the event of a tie affecting the last qualifying place – 20th place after Round 1 or 10th place after the semifinals – the following will be reviewed:

• the official electronic timing system
• the backup electronic system, if available
• finish judges
• the official video recording, if available
• manual timing

If the tie cannot be broken through official means, the Head Referee may order a swim-off between the tied athletes.

The swim-off distance and recovery time will be set by the Head Referee and communicated to the athletes involved.

Because qualification is determined by comparing times achieved in different heats, the organizer will ensure technical conditions are as similar as possible for all athletes.

Within the same round, the following may not be changed:

• course length
• buoy positions
• swimming direction
• start configuration
• finish area configuration

If significant changes occur in weather conditions, wind, current, visibility or water state, and these could clearly affect the comparability of times, the Head Referee may suspend the round.

If fair conditions can no longer be guaranteed, the Head Referee may order the round to be run again in full.

The start may take place from a platform or from the water, depending on the course configuration.

The procedure will be identical for all athletes in the same round.

The start will be signaled by a visual and audible signal.

Athletes must comply with the instructions of the Starter and the Head Referee.

Any attempt to gain an irregular advantage before the official signal may be sanctioned.

The course will be measured and verified before the competition.

The technical briefing will present:

• course configuration
• distance
• number of laps
• swimming direction
• mandatory buoys
• the side each buoy must be rounded on
• the start area
• the finish area

The athlete is responsible for completing the course correctly and in full.

The following are prohibited:

• shortening the course
• missing a mandatory buoy
• rounding a buoy on the wrong side
• deliberately leaving the course to gain an advantage

The finish area will be clearly marked.

If a finish pad is used, the athlete must touch it for the race to end officially.

The exact finish procedure will be presented at the technical briefing.

Electronic timing is the primary system for determining times.

Athletes will wear the timing systems provided by the organizer according to the instructions received.

As far as possible, the organizer will provide:

• electronic timing
• finish judges
• backup timing
• an official video system

The results of each round become official after validation by the Head Referee.

The race is held under Freestyle – Open Water Swimming rules.

The athlete must complete the entire distance under their own effort.

Accidental contact between athletes, typical of open water swimming, does not automatically constitute a violation.

The following are prohibited:

• intentional pushing
• pulling an opponent
• holding an opponent
• hitting
• intentionally submerging an opponent
• deliberate blocking
• intentionally obstructing an opponent
• any action that secures an irregular advantage

For a first sanctionable violation, a Yellow Flag – warning may be issued.

For a further sanctionable violation, a Red Flag – disqualification may be issued.

For serious, violent, dangerous or clearly unsportsmanlike conduct, disqualification may be applied directly.

A warning received in one round remains valid in subsequent rounds of the same Knockout Sprint race.

Swimming equipment approved under the competition regulations is permitted.

Equipment that provides propulsion, buoyancy, or an artificial technical advantage is not permitted, such as:

• hand paddles
• fins
• pull-buoys
• snorkels
• other artificial means of propulsion or buoyancy

The rules for wearing a wetsuit will be set according to the official water temperature and the technical rules applicable on the date of the competition.

A qualified athlete who is no longer able or willing to compete in the next round must inform the organizer immediately after the result is published.

If the withdrawal is communicated before the start list for the next round is finalized, the place may be offered to the next eligible athlete from the previous round's ranking.

Once the official start list is finalized, the organizer is not obliged to replace the withdrawn athlete.

Athlete safety is the absolute priority.

The organizer will provide a safety setup appropriate to the course configuration, which may include:

• a Safety Officer
• a medical team
• rescue personnel
• intervention boats
• safety kayaks and/or SUPs
• course referees
• a communications system
• a medical evacuation procedure

The Head Referee and Safety Officer may postpone, suspend or stop the race if athlete safety is at risk.

An athlete may be removed from the water if medical or safety personnel determine that continuing the race poses a risk to their health.

Protests regarding the conduct of the race, the application of the rules, or the results must be submitted in writing, according to the procedure set by the organizer.

In situations affecting qualification for the next round, the protest must be communicated immediately.

The general deadline for submitting a protest is a maximum of 30 minutes after the contested official result is published.

The final technical decision rests with the competition jury, in accordance with the event's General Regulation.

A technical briefing will be held before the competition.

The following must be communicated:

• the course
• the start procedure
• the finish procedure
• the composition of the heats
• the qualification system
• the interval between heats
• the minimum recovery time
• the allocation of semifinals
• the tie-break procedure
• the water temperature
• the wetsuit rules
• the safety procedures
• the protest procedure

By the nature of the Knockout Sprint format, athletes competing in the first heat or the first semifinal may benefit from a few additional minutes of recovery.

Absolute equality of recovery time is not possible in a system with successive starts.

To limit this advantage, the organizer applies the following principles:

• a short interval between the two heats
• a short interval between the two semifinals
• a guaranteed minimum of 15 minutes of recovery for the last qualifying athlete before the next round
• maintaining identical technical course conditions
• the impossibility of moving a round earlier once the official start time has been announced

Recovery capacity between successive rounds is a component specific to the Knockout Sprint format.

This document constitutes the technical regulation specific to the race: 72 Swim4Dreams – 3 km Knockout Sprint, Călărași 2027.

In situations not expressly provided for in this regulation, the organizer and the Head Referee will apply the principles of the international Open Water Swimming regulations in force on the date of the competition, to the extent they are compatible with the race's specific format.

The distinctive feature of 72 Swim4Dreams is its own qualification system based on the overall time ranking:

1,500 m — 2 heats × maximum 20 athletes → best 20 times

1,000 m — 2 semifinals × 10 athletes → best 10 times

Final – 500 m — 10 athletes

72 Swim4Dreams – 3 km Knockout Sprint: 40 → 20 → 10 → 1.