Richmond, Va. – March brings not one but two high-caliber aquatics events to Richmond as SwimRVA hosts the Shamrock Showdown and the Clover Cup swim meets. Offering two elite-level competitions suited for a wide range of swimmers, SwimRVA strives to serve as a catalyst for health and fitness, sports tourism, competitive aquatics, and possibility for all.
The inaugural Clover Cup takes place March 21-23. The postseason championship racing opportunity is designed to be a premier event for athletes 12 and under, as well as swimmers 13 and older who do not have Shamrock Showdown qualifying times. The meet also offers prelims and finals racing opportunities for athletes 12 and under, in addition to certain sprint-oriented events for 13 and older participants.
The Shamrock Showdown is a four day meet, running from March 27-30. The event is set to welcome 600-700 athletes from across the East Coast, ranging from New York City down to the Carolinas. SwimMAC Carolina and Nation’s Capital Swim Club, who are the top ranked teams in the nation, will both be in attendance, offering an exciting showcase of elite performance.
Richmond has become one of the top tourism destinations in the country, boosted by the incredible growth in sports and aquatic competition. SwimRVA generates $7 million in economic impact annually through events.
SwimRVA has fueled the Richmond region’s national reputation for major events. The nonprofit’s headquarters facility in Chesterfield County has hosted the TYR Pro Swim Series, Toyota U.S. Open, and several USA Swimming championships including the Super Sectional, Futures and Eastern Zones.
Dozens of Olympic athletes have competed at SwimRVA’s world class aquatics center on their journeys to national and international medals.The regional success is made possible by partnerships with Richmond Region Tourism, Chesterfield County and the local business community.
SwimRVA’s facility boasts a 54,000 square foot indoor aquatics center. The 50-meter steel pool was originally constructed for the 2008 Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb. and disassembled and rebuilt as the centerpiece of SwimRVA’s aquatic center.
The nonprofit works to provide quality aquatic programs in the Richmond region across six programming locations and jurisdictions.
SwimRVA’s Learn-to-Swim initiative is making the community safer and healthier by providing free swim lessons to local second graders. Over the last decade, SwimRVA has served over 15,000 children through the program, which has grown to serve Chesterfield County, Colonial Heights, Hopewell City, Prince George County, and the City of Richmond.
SwimRVA focuses on a future where every person in the capital region has access to life changing opportunities.
SwimRVA will utilize a state-of-the-art video streaming system for those unable to attend the March events in person, extending the reach of the meet to spectators beyond Richmond. Athletes’ names, team and time will be displayed in an overlay of their lane just as it appears in nationally televised meets such as the Olympics. Spectators will also have the ability to rewatch races multiple times. Those interested can visit https://swimrva.vhx.tv/browse for more information.