Swimming South Africa are set to host the third leg of the 2003 / 2004 FINA Swimming World

Cup series meet in the beautiful east coast city of Durban in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, the "Kingdom of the Zulu" from December 5-7.

With golden beaches that stretch for miles and days filled with sun, Durban is a unique mix of the colonial European, Indian and Zulu communities that is reflected in the architecture, fashions, sights and sounds of the city. Dining out in Durban is a taste bud tickling experience, with a huge variety of restaurants ranging from steakhouses to traditional Indian and Chinese cuisine.

For those wanting to experience a bit of the culture, wildlife and scenery which South Africa is renowned for, Edusport Travel offers various pre and post tours as well as various spouses packages for the partners not participating in the World Cup.

Should swimmers want to visit South Africa to train and acclimatise to the country prior to or after the World Cup, Edusport Travel is able to offer a number of options, built around swimmers' needs and custom designed around specifications.

We strongly advise you to consider an option at the High Performance Centre at the University of Pretoria. A special rate package has been put together which would include meet and greet facilities, airport transfers between Johannesburg International Airport and the HP Centre, full use of the gym at the Sports Science Centre and of the swimming facilities and full board accommodation on a twin or triple share basis at the Rugby House at the Centre.

There are two outdoor heated pools at the High Performance Centre, one a 50m x 12 lane pool and the other a 25m x 6 lane pool, both with water temperature maintained at 26C. Pretoria is situated approximately 40kms north of the Johannesburg International Airport and is at an altitude of 1650 metres above sea level.

Training Options at pools in Durban are also available on request from Edusport Travel.

The Federations‚ FWC Organising Committee have been hard at work to ensure that the event runs smoothly and that all participants enjoy a memorable visit this truly beautiful part of Africa.

The City of Durban, Durban Africa and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal have joined Telkom, South Africa's national telecommunications provider and long-standing partner of Swimming South Africa, in this venture.

The event is set to take place at the Kings Park Aquatic Centre, which is situated approximately 4 kms. north of the City Centre. The Aquatic Centre consists of a heated indoor 50m x 25 m, 8-lane pool with seating for 4000 spectators. For the FINA Swimming World Cup the pool will be converted to a 25m-competition pool, accommodating approximately 2000 spectators. Adjacent to the Main Pool is an outdoor 30m x 25m heated pool with diving facilities that will be used as a warm-up facility during the event.

The event will be conducted strictly in accordance with FINA Rules & Regulations.

Entries for the event will be accepted only if endorsed by National Federations affiliated to FINA. National Federations may choose to enter a National Team or Club representatives, NOT BOTH. The only exception to this rule applies to the host Federation who may submit both Club and National entries.

A Technical Meeting for all participating Federations will be held on Thursday 4 December at 17h00 at the competition venue. This will be the final opportunity for entry changes for duly entered participants.

Swimming South Africa has set down the following deadlines :
- Intention to Compete: 22nd August 2003. On receipt of this completed form, Federations will be forwarded a further information pack, including the official entry form.
- Preliminary Entries by Number (indicating details pertaining to numbers of male & female swimmers and officials) & Accommodation requests: 10th October 2003
- Travel Information & Athlete Biodata: 30th October 2003
- Final Entries by Name: 14th November 2003

All entries and enquiries should be addressed to:
The Event Manager, 2003 Durban Swimming World Cup
Tel.: +27 11 404 2480
Fax: +27 11 402 2486
Email: durbanworldcup@swimsa.co.za
Address:
Ground Floor, North Wing,
Johannesburg Stadium,
124 Van Beek Ave.,
New Doornfontein, 2028,
Johannesburg, South Africa
Postal Address:
PO Box 17009, Doornfontein, 2028, South Africa.

Competition Program
- Individual events for men and women
Freestyle 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m (W), 1500m (M)
Backstroke 50m, 100m, 200m
Breaststroke 50m, 100m, 200m
Butterfly 50m, 100m, 200m
Individual Medley 100m, 200m, 400m

- Preliminary Starting Times: Heats 10h00 & Finals 18h00

Heats & Finals: Each event will have heats & finals with the exception of the 400m Individual Medley, the 800m and 1500m Freestyle. These events will be swum as timed finals with the slow heats in the preliminary session and the fastest heat in the finals session.

The One Start Rule will apply for all events.
A number of accommodation options are available. Edusport Travel is the sole appointed Travel Agent & Tour Operator to manage the destination management of the Durban World Cup Event. This company specialises in sport and incentive travel since 1992 and has vast experience in this field having had, amongst others, official appointments for the Rugby and Cricket World Cups of 1999 and 2003.

Edusport will be responsible for the destination management services for all FINA officials, Swimming South Africa officials, all participating swimmers, officials and VIP's.

Due to their experience in various sporting events, Edusport managed to secure very competitive rates with their preferred suppliers and can offer all participants and visitors to the World Cup lucrative & hassle-free accommodation packages.

All enquiries or requests regarding accommodation for officials, media, swimmers and VIP's who will be officially accredited for the World Cup, must be directed in writing to:

The Event Manager
Durban World Cup
Fax: +27 11 402 2486
email: durbanworldcup@swimsa.co.za

Supporters, family and friends seeking assistance regarding accommodation options, may contact Kim Renyard at Edusport directly at:
Tel: +27 31 303 4340
Fax: +27 31 303 4350
email: kimr.edusport@galileosa.co.za
www.edusport.co.za

Some delegations to the Durban World Cup may be required to show a visa upon entering South Africa. For further information regarding visa requirements, interested parties are requested to contact the South African High Commission in their respective country.

Most international flights to South Africa arrive either at the Cape Town or Johannesburg International Airports where participants will be expected to clear customs before connecting on domestic flights to Durban.

The official website for the event is currently under construction and will be operational during the next few days. www.durbanworldcup.co.za