Mermaid diving championships kick off in Sanya

A professional mermaid diver competes in the 2023 China Mermaid Open Championship Atlantis Station and International Mermaid Contest on Sept 19. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 60 professional mermaid divers from many countries and regions - including China, the United States and Germany - have arrived in Sanya for the 2023 China Mermaid Open Championship Atlantis Station and International Mermaid Contest, marking the first attempt to hold a professional mermaid championship globally.

The two-day championship kicked off on Tuesday in Sanya, Hainan province.

Professional mermaid divers, including winners from previous China Mermaid Open championships, will compete across a series of preliminary and elimination rounds. Both the preliminary and elimination rounds will consist of two pre-specified dives and skills that must be displayed in succession. They are the duck dive, freestyle swimming, backstroke, back dive, side stroke swimming and 360-degree spins. During the third dive and the finals, contestants are free to perform their own routines.

A professional mermaid diver competes in the 2023 China Mermaid Open Championship Atlantis Station and International Mermaid Contest on Sept 19. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Liu Qing, minister of Department III of the Water Sports Administrative Center of General Administration of Sports, said: "From the first China Mermaid Open Championship in 2021, to two championships in 2022, and five championships set to take place this year, the China Mermaid Open has become an increasingly established championship in the world of professional mermaid and aquatic sports. Not only has it become a recognized event in China, but it has also further influenced and supported the development of professional mermaid projects worldwide."

"Mermaid diving is a fascinating sport filled with mystery. Not only is it a professional-level sport, it is also a visual spectacle that integrates natural beauty with performance art," said Cao Minglong, president of Fosun Tourism Group, the parent company of Sanya Atlantis.

Prior to the 2023 China Mermaid Open, Atlantis Sanya hosted the first China Mermaid Performance Championship in 2021 and the Sanya Round of the 2022 China Mermaid Open. In April 2021, Atlantis Sanya was also the setting of a successful Guinness World Record attempt for the largest underwater mermaid show, during which 110 mermaid performers simultaneously took part in a large-scale mermaid performance.