XVI FINA World Aquatics Championship finished in Kazan on August, 9. Volunteers from all over the world helped to organize this wonderful event. SSU was represented by 7 students: Georgy Bolotov, Natalia Tumanova, Daria Poliakova, Aleksandr Alekseev, olga Smirnova, Dmitri Kazin, Egor Svechnikov. Saratov delegation included 22 people.
Our volunteers worked at two platforms – aquatic sports palace and water polo arena. Their main functions included working with spectators, commentators, collecting statistics. They also worked as interpreters, attaché, participated in sport presentations, etc. Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technologies student Aleksandr Alekseev worked as a championship mascot – snow leopard Itil. “My main job is to smile give every one happiness, and pose for photos. I help people make their day better”, said Aleksandr. Faculty of Foreign Languages and Language Teaching Methods student Daria Poliakova worked as a technical committee attace/ “My job is to help delegates communicate as most of them don’t speak Russian. I am trying to make their stay at Kazan comfortable”.
One of our volunteers – chair of SSU student and graduate student union Georgy Bolotov – participated at the championship closing ceremony. He had an important mission of carrying the national flag of one of participating countries. 10 Saratov delegates including SSU students were the guests of the championship closing day.
Volunteers lived at the Athletes’ Village next to sportsmen. So between the working shifts SSU students met with our townsman, Olympic champion 2012, six-time Europe champion in springboard dives Ilya Zakharov. In Kazan he won his 10th silver medal; he also got 8 gold and 3 bronze medals.
SSU volunteers also met two-time bronze Olympic champion, two-time World champion in highboard dives Gleb Galperin and three-times Olympic champion, nine time Europe champion in synchronous swimming Maria Kisileva.
According to Georgy Bolotov, our volunteers were named best volunteers of the day multiple times.
Also Saratov University students participated in making a short film about XVI FINA World Aquatics Championship.
Our volunteers received letters of gratitude for their contribution to the championship. SSU Volunteers Center was one of the platforms for volunteer selection and training.
XVI FINA World Aquatics Championship took place in Kazan on July, 24 – August, 9. 3000 sportsmen competed in 6 disciplines: open water swimming, synchronous swimming, diving, water polo, high diving and swimming.
