Open water swimming debuted at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece as a demonstration sport. Open water swimming involves swimming in rivers, lakes, seas or the ocean, where deep water, lack of lane markings, waves, currents, wind and other natural elements test the swimmer.

Special Olympics is excited to introduce a sport-specific approach to the development of swimming globally, focusing on the 2025-2027 timeframe. This initiative aims to deepen our understanding of swimming's positioning both internally and externally around the world.

From March 8 – 15, 2025 over 1,500 athletes from 103 countries competed in 8 disciplines in the name of sport, hospitality and inclusion. Creating an Inclusive World. Special Olympics is a global sports movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities.

Special Olympics Minnesota invites you to the SOMN Open, a golf tournament fundraiser! This isn’t your average tournament—it’s a celebration of inclusion. Every birdie, eagle, and even the occasional bogey contributes to a more inclusive world. Join us for a day of golf, games, prizes and the joy of making a difference!

2025年3月7日凌晨，第12届世界冬季特殊奥林匹克运动会将于当地时间8日至15日在意大利都灵举行，中国代表团已于北京时间7日凌晨正式启程，出征本次都灵冬特奥会。 [4] 特殊奥林匹克运动 （简称 特奥运动），是基于 奥林匹克精神，专门针对 智障 人士开展的国际性运动训练和比赛。 特奥运动项目非常丰富，从最基本的机能活动到最高级的竞赛，适合所有年龄和能力等级的特奥运动员。 特殊奥林匹克运动会（简称特殊奥运会或特奥会）包括本地、国家、洲际和世界等不同 …

Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries. [2]

Open water swimming became a new fully accredited sport of the Special Olympics World Games the previous year. In the following years and currently, the progress, achievements, and spirit of the Special Olympics athletes that swim as the Potomac River Dolphins influence open water swimming around the world.

Special Olympics rules for Open Water Swimming provide modifications to conducts training seminars for athletes and coaches that advance them from pool training to the sport of open water swimming. This is accomplished through teaching and practicing OWS skills and techniques in the pool and safely transitioning to open water.

Mar 15, 2025 · The Special Olympics Winter World Games Turin 2025 celebrate the skills of people with intellectual disabilities. An open window to the inclusive future through the extraordinary power of sport

The minimum water temperature for conducting an open water swimming event shall be 16°C (60.8°F) at Special Olympics’ World Games, Regional Games and Single-Sport Events.