Following a decision by the Cyprus Olympic Committee, the Cyprus Underwater Activities Federation (KUD) will participate for the first time in the 20th Mediterranean Games “Taranto 2026,” which begin this coming Friday, August 21, and will be centered around the city of Taranto in the broader region of Apulia, Italy.
The Cyprus Underwater Sports Federation (KUD) will compete in the sport of technical swimming through finswimming, with athlete Nikolaos Moria Hatzipanagis participating. The athlete’s participation in the games represents a significant development for competitive underwater sports in Cyprus and, at the same time, an important opportunity to showcase a sport with great potential and prospects for growth.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The President of the Cyprus Federation of Underwater Activities, Mr. George Minas, described the participation as a historic milestone for the Federation: “The inclusion of fin swimming in the 20th Mediterranean Games ‘Taranto 2026’ and the historic first participation of an athlete from the Cyprus Underwater Activities Federation (CUA) are significant milestones for our Federation and Cypriot sports. It validates the many years of efforts to promote, develop, and represent competitive underwater sports and finswimming at the international level.
With its decision, the Cyprus Olympic Committee (COC) has invested in the new generation of athletes, opening up new horizons of international distinction for them. “I would like to thank the COC, its leadership, and its staff for their excellent cooperation.”
Cyprus’s Participation
Cyprus will be represented in Artistic Swimming by Nikolas Hatzipanagis Moria, who will compete in the 50-meter monofin freediving event.
The event will take place in an indoor pool, and athletes are required to cover the 50-meter distance underwater, using a monofin, in the fastest time possible. The competition schedule includes a preliminary round and a final, which will take place on August 26 and 27, respectively.
A Sport with Unique Demands
Fin Swimming is a competitive underwater sport that combines speed, technique, strength, endurance, and excellent breath control. Athletes compete using double fins or a monofin, depending on the event, while in freediving events they must cover the race distance underwater.
In Cyprus, the Cyprus Underwater Sports Federation (KUD) promotes Technical Swimming, Free Diving, Scuba Diving, and Spearfishing. Currently, there are three clubs in operation, with a total of approximately 600 members.
Of particular interest is the Dynamic Apnea event, in which Nikolaos Morias holds the Cyprus record with a distance of 174.5 meters. The event takes place in a pool, with the athlete using a monofin and attempting to cover the greatest possible distance underwater on a single breath.
Nicholas Hatzipanagis Morias: “My goal is to open the door for young people to our sport”
The athlete who will represent Cyprus at “Taranto 2026” spoke about his goal, as well as the importance of his participation in the games for the future of the sport: “My goal is to put in a respectable performance. I’ll try to give it my all and set a new Cypriot record. My participation aims to open the door for young people to get involved in fin swimming.”
The Cyprus Olympic Committee wishes the Cypriot athlete every success and extends its warmest thanks to the administration, coaches, and athletes for their outstanding cooperation.
The presence of Technical Swimming at the event is yet another example of the COC’s efforts to expand opportunities for Cypriot athletes to compete internationally and to support the development and promotion of all sports.
The Cyprus Olympic Committee also extends its warmest thanks to ALLWYN (Diamond Partner), LOGICOM (Platinum Partners), PETROLINA (Gold Partner), and MEDOCHEMIE, (Silver Partner), for their cooperation and support in fulfilling its mission.
