Subscribe | Swiss Merlympics

Conditions of participation

National Mermaiding Schools

Each school may register a group of up to 6 athletes, regardless of age category.

Applicants must be accompanied by 1 coach who also represents the school at the information meeting.

International Mermaiding Schools and Individuals

International mermaiding schools may apply only if there are remaining spots, with a maximum of six athletes per school. Each group must be accompanied by one coach, who also serves as the school’s official representative.

International athletes must hold valid diving insurance.

They cannot be selected for the Official Championships. By applying, they acknowledge that their participation is solely for training purposes and not for selection. They will only compete in the “National Challenges” and not in the “Official Championship” one.

They will receive a certificate of participation and their ranking, but nothing more—no podium placements. Podiums are reserved for Swiss athletes only.

Individuals

Individual registrations are reserved for adults only, with separate rankings for women and men.

Availability on a first-come, first-served basis.

Material

Athletes bring their own costume and mono-fin for the competition.

For safety reasons, the mono-fin has to be a known brand.

It also has to be a mermaid shaped mono-fin or it would not be accepted.

For example: Mertailor, Mng Fins, FinFun, Mermaid Kat, Mermaid Linden, Aquamermaid, Mahina, Waterway Mermaid, Mermaid Tail Factory, Suntail, Kuaki, Magictail, etc...

No mono-fins coming from websites such as Alibaba or Wish shall be accepted for safety reasons.

Inscription / Registration

Registration Procedures and Deadlines:

Pre-registration is done online using the form sent during the initial email contact and must be submitted before January 31, 2026.

Final registration

Registration will be considered final upon receipt of full payment, no later than March 31, 2026.

Starting in April, after registration closes on March 31, we will organize an online meeting (via Zoom or similar software) in the form of a Q&A session to answer all your questions regarding the national and international competition.

The final competition program, including the schedule, events, and running order, will be communicated one month before the event.

"National” Option

Intended for schools and participants who wish to compete in an exclusively national framework.

Challenges:

Rescue: Locate a person underwater, bring them to the surface, and tow them (one hand under the neck and one on the head), including a dynamic apnea phase before taking charge.
Ecology: Collect objects underwater in apnea using a bag.
Speed: Swim at the surface as quickly as possible.
Figures: Perform 6 underwater figures in a set order.
Underwater Poses: Two 5-second poses while maintaining neutral buoyancy.

This option does not allow qualification for international competitions.

“Official Championship” Option

Designed for schools and participants who wish to represent Switzerland at the international Official Mermaiding Championships.

Official Challenges:

Rescue: Locate a person underwater and tow them using an under-arm rescue hold, with a dynamic apnea phase beforehand.
Rally: Swim 25 m in breaststroke, then remove one foot from the monofin; return 25 m in freestyle.
Speed: Swim at the surface as quickly as possible.
Synchronization: Group choreography including figures.
Figures: 6 figures performed in a set order.
Underwater Poses: Two 5-second poses while maintaining neutral buoyancy.

The school with the highest total score will be selected to participate in the Mermaiding Championships. For individual categories, the athlete (feminine and masculine) with the highest overall score across all categories will also represent Switzerland at the Mermaiding Championships.

Apply here!

Here are the documents to download for further information and rules of the event:

En français, téléchargez ici:

In Deutsch, herunterladen hier:

In English, download here :

Invitation

Einladung

In Italiano, scarica qui:

Invito

Inscription fees

The starting costs differ depending on whether a reservation is made at the sports center in Fiesch (full board) or not.

"National" Challenges

Each athlete must appear in the following 5 challenges:

1. Figures (draw one element from each categories A, B and C)

A. Ripple

Swimming on the back (underwater)

Swimming on the stomach (underwater)

Swimming lateral (underwater)

B. Flips

Front flip

Back flip

C. Various

Spin

Floating 10 seconds on the back

For this challenge, a draw will take place on the morning of the competition during the meeting of the team leaders.

The athletes will have prepared all the elements but will only present 3 during the competition.

2. Underwater posing

Each athlete prepares a pose (on the surface or underwater) which they will present in front of the photographers.

The athlete should stay at least 5 seconds in the position.

3. Speed

- Children category: perform 15m on the stomach and on the surface as quickly as possible

- Youth/Teens category: perform 25m on your stomach on the surface as quickly as possible

- Adult category: perform 50m on the stomach on the surface as quickly as possible

4. Rescue

- Children category: towing a mannequin on the surface over 10m

- Youth/Teens category: look for a dummy at the bottom of the water, take it out and tow it for 15m

- Adult category: freedive 25m, look for the dummy, take it out and tow it for 25m

5. Ecology / Freediving

- Children category: fetch as much "waste" as possible from the bottom of the water in 1 minute, at a maximum of 2 meters deep

- Youth/Teens category: fetch as much "waste" as possible from the bottom of the water in 1 minute, at a maximum depth of 2 meters

- Adult category: fetch as much "waste" as possible from the bottom of the water in 1 minute 30 seconds, at a depth of 3-4 meters

SCORE REFERENCE (of the challenges)

You can find here the pdf file on which your performances will be judged by the members of our jury:

Scores

"Official Championship" Challenges

Intended for schools and participants wishing to represent Switzerland at the international competition organised by the Official Mermaiding Championships.

Official challenges:

Rescue: find a person underwater, bring them back to the surface and tow them holding them under the armpits, with a part in dynamic diving before rescue;
Rally: 25 m crawl swim, then remove one foot from the monofin; return on 25m distance in free style;
Speed: swim a determined distance as fast as possible;
Synchronised swimming: planned choreography including figures;
Underwater Figures: present 6 underwater figures in a given order;
Modeling: two 5-second poses, while maintaining neutral buoyancy

The school that obtains the best total score will be selected to participate in the Mermaiding Championships. For individual categories, the athlete with the best result in mixed categories will also represent Switzerland at the Mermaiding Championships.

Videos can be found on : www.officialmermaidingchampionships.com

Awards

In each category (MerChildren, MerTeen, MerJunior and MerAdults), the 3 best athletes are rewarded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are silicone tails allowed?

No, full silicone tails are not allowed due to safety reasons.

Only mermaid monofins in silicone are accepted (like fanstasy fin from mertailor for example).

Are we allowed to wear weights?

No weights allowed.

Are we allowed to use nose clips, sinus savers, googles and masks during the competition?

No it is not allowed. It is ONLY allowed if you have a medical certification from your doctor.

Googles and Masks are only allowed during the "Ecology" challenge.

Are swim caps necessary/allowed ?

There are no need for swim caps. You can put one if you want.