Taipei, Sept. 3 (CNA) Over 1,600 athletes successfully competed in the waters of Sun Moon Lake on Saturday, kicking off the return of the annual Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival which was cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Nantou County Government, the Saturday events, the 8th Sun Moon Lake Open Water Swimming Championship and the 3rd "SUP" Stand-up Paddle Boarding Tournament, respectively, were the two competitions that herald the official carnival that is slated to take place on Sunday.
The county government added that while Typhoon Hinnamnor was looming over Taiwan, Saturday was a bright, sunny day with over 1,600 swimmers and paddlers competing in Sun Moon Lake.
The county's deputy magistrate Chen Cheng-sheng (陳正昇) opened the events with a speech, stating that the events also helped to stress-test the county's COVID-19 response protocols for the upcoming carnival.
He went on to praise the events' staff and participating athletes for their efforts in abiding by COVID-19 restrictions.
Sunday's Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival is one of the world's largest open-water mass participation swimming event, with spots for this year's event capped at 20,000, the county government said previously.
During the registration period for the event, Chen also announced that participants will need to abide by certain rules, including having received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine if aged 12 or above.
Children between the ages of 8 and 11 were required to have received two COVID-19 vaccine doses, Chen said, adding that the inoculations must have been done before July 15.
Also, participants were required to provide proof of a negative rapid antigen test on Friday, and they must not have any symptoms of the disease such as fever and cough before entering the water on Sunday.
Swimmers at the event will need to wear a face mask at all times except when in the water, Chen said.
Registration for the 2022 event was opened to healthy individuals aged 8-75, including foreign nationals who live and work in Taiwan.
The annual Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival was first held in 1983 and is usually held around the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Covering a distance of approximately three kilometers, the event was officially listed in the World's Swimming Hall of Fame in 2002.
