Beautiful female athlete instructs swimming skills at Aqua Warriors Quang Tri tournament

(Dan Tri) - One of the important competitions and considered a very difficult challenge at the Aqua Warriors Quang Tri 2025 tournament is the swimming event at Bao Ninh beach (Dong Hoi, Quang Tri) on August 2.

Many athletes achieved good results when swimming in familiar pools, but were "out of sync" or even failed to complete the sea swimming competition at the Aqua Warriors tournaments held in Ha Long or Van Don ( Quang Ninh) organized by Dan Tri newspaper in collaboration with Bolt Event recently.

Athletes participate in the sea swimming competition at the Aqua Warriors Halong Bay 2025 tournament in April organized by Dan Tri newspaper and Bolt Event (Photo: Hai Long).

At the Aqua Warriors Quang Tri 2025 tournament, which will take place on August 2 and 3, the swimming competition also promises to bring a lot of excitement and excitement to the athletes. In order to complete the competition well, many experts believe that athletes need to have real-life experience and practice the sea swimming competition thoroughly.

Female swimming champion Le Thi Trang: "5 things to remember when swimming in the ocean"

According to Ms. Le Thi Trang (swimming coach at Dolphin Swim School, Hanoi ), swimming in the sea is completely different from swimming in a pool, which leads to different parameters for athletes.

Coach Le Thi Trang has won the Aqua Warriors Relay event twice at the Aqua Warriors tournaments organized by Dan Tri newspaper and Bolt Event (Photo: NVCC).

"The most obvious difference between ocean and pool swimming is the natural environment and the factors that influence performance. Pools are controlled environments: still water, stable temperature, no currents or waves, clear lanes, and good underwater visibility.

Meanwhile, the sea is completely opposite: salty water, with waves, wind, undercurrents, and even algae or marine life. The swimming lanes do not have clear lanes but are oriented according to buoys, so the ability of the athletes to observe, orient and adapt to the environment is extremely important," said coach Le Thi Trang.

Coach Le Thi Trang participated in the sea swimming competition and won the Aqua Warriors Relay event at the Aqua Warriors Halong Bay 2025 tournament (Photo: Do Minh Quan).

According to former national swimming team athletes, to swim well in the sea, athletes need to prepare well physically, mentally and in skills as follows:

1. Get used to natural conditions:

- Practice swimming in the ocean a few sessions before the tournament (if possible) to get used to the salt water and the feeling of the waves going up and down.

- Observe the current - sun - wind direction, because they can strongly affect swimming speed and direction.

2. Practice orientation while swimming:

- Unlike swimming pools, ocean swimming does not have lanes so athletes need to lift their heads to orient themselves towards the buoy after every few strokes (sighting technique).

- Practice lifting your head properly to avoid losing rhythm or sinking your feet.

3. Improve endurance and maintain a steady pace:

- Waves and currents can easily disrupt swimming rhythm, so athletes need to practice maintaining a stable pace in turbulent conditions.

- Practice long swimming exercises in the pool (400-1,000m) with a steady pace and flexible breathing.

Swimming in the sea does not have specific lanes, so athletes must practice their ability to orient themselves while swimming (Photo: Do Minh Quan).

4. Suitable equipment:

- Swimming goggles are saltwater resistant and have a wide field of vision.

- Brightly colored swimming cap for easy identification from a distance.

- If it's cold, consider using a standard swimsuit to keep you warm and float better.

5. Keep your mind relaxed:

- Swimming in the sea requires a strong mentality because the space is "wide and strange". If you are stressed, you will quickly lose strength.

- Before starting, you should spend a few minutes in the water warming up, getting used to breathing and the sea water.

"My short advice for athletes before the competition day is to always know how to keep a steady breathing rhythm, don't rush or panic. You need to orient yourself early, follow the buoy closely, and not swim with others. In particular, athletes must always be proactive in handling situations, adapting to being pushed by waves instead of trying to fight them," said coach Le Thi Trang.

Coach Hoang Van Hien: "Swimming in the sea wears out your body much more than swimming in a pool"

Also sharing the same opinion with coach Le Thi Trang about the big difference between swimming in the sea and swimming in a pool, Mr. Hoang Van Hien, coach of the swimming team of Viet Hung ward (Hanoi) said that swimming in a pool is often much easier than swimming in the sea.

Coach Hoang Van Hien, currently the swimming coach of Viet Hung ward, Hanoi (Photo: Luong Pham Phuong Anh).

"Swimming in a pool is easier because the water is calmer. The pools have clear lanes, which are lined with buoys so they are not affected by wave resistance. The depth of the pool is low so swimmers do not feel psychological pressure.

Meanwhile, when participating in the sea swimming competition, the depth of the beach ranges from 7-10m, which somewhat affects the psychology of new or weak swimmers. In the sea, there are no clear swimming lanes, so people often swim in the wrong direction. If the swimming lane is long, it will make the athletes lose a lot of energy and waste a lot of time," said coach Hoang Van Hien.

Athletes need to carefully prepare their costumes when participating in the sea swimming competition at the Aqua Warriors Quang Tri 2025 (Photo: Do Minh Quan).

Coach Hoang Van Hien also pointed out the difficulties that athletes often encounter when swimming in the ocean due to the influence of natural environmental factors.

"The water at the beach is often colder than in the pool, so if swimmers do not prepare their costumes carefully, they will easily drown and have difficulty breathing, affecting their performance in the competition.

Some sea areas have strong currents, if the athlete does not have experience in handling them, it will be very difficult to overcome these currents. Swimming through big waves can also cause water inhalation.

And a special thing in sea swimming competitions, for new or inexperienced athletes, the feeling of wanting to give up often appears when starting the race for about the first 5 minutes, due to the nature of the race with many people and the influence of the weather. This is a big barrier that athletes need to be mentally prepared to overcome," Coach Hoang Van Hien concluded.

From August 2 to August 3, the new Quang Tri province (formed after the merger of Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces) will welcome multi-sport events: Aqua Warriors Quang Tri and Quang Tri International Marathon.

For two consecutive days, three endurance sports including open water swimming, Aquathlon and Marathon will take place, marking a major turning point in the economic and tourism development orientation of this historic land.

On August 2, hundreds of athletes will immerse themselves in the ocean at Aqua Warriors Quang Tri, testing their skills in the blue waters of Bao Ninh beach, Dong Hoi in open water swimming and the challenging aquathlon swimming-running event.

On August 3, the heat continued to spread with the Quang Tri International Marathon bringing thousands of runners across the beautiful roads of Dong Hoi, imbued with history, culture and nature.

This year's tournament includes 4 distances: 5km, 10km, 21km (Half Marathon) and 42km (Full Marathon), suitable for many different ages, physical conditions and training goals. Athletes will have the opportunity to compete in a large-scale, professional, well-organized tournament, which can become part of the journey to promote the image of Quang Tri to the domestic and international community.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/nu-vdv-xinh-dep-huong-dan-ky-nang-boi-bien-o-giai-aqua-warriors-quang-tri-20250724235852171.htm