Sport

A well-rounded sport that develops the four intrinsic qualities of a lifeguard:

• Skills
• Judgment
• Knowledge
• Physical performance

These qualities are put to the test in three distinct categories of lifesaving sport:

• Surf
• Pool
• Emergency Response

Lifesaving sport is present at all levels of competition. By contacting a local lifesaving sport club, an athlete can begin training and compete in provincial competitions.

This pathway can lead to higher-level competitions such as the Championnats Québécois de Sauvetage (CQS) and the Canadian Championships. Through rigorous training, an athlete can make the national team and advance to the world championships (World Lifesaving Championships and RLSS).

INDIVIDUAL EVENTS

OBSTACLE SWIM

At the starting signal, the athlete must dive and swim 200 m. The athlete must pass 8 times under an obstacle positioned at 12.5 m from the starting wall. If this event takes place in a 50 m pool, the obstacles must be positioned 12.5 m and 37.5 m from the starting wall.

MANIKIN CARRY

At the starting signal, the athlete must dive and swim 25 m. The athlete must touch the turn wall, retrieve a full manikin from the bottom of the pool and return to the surface. This must be done within a 10 m transition zone, before the athlete can carry the manikin for 25 m. If this event takes place in a 50 m pool, the manikin must be positioned in the middle of the pool.

MANIKIN CARRY WITH FINS

At the starting signal, the athlete must dive and swim 75 m with fins. The athlete must touch the turn wall, retrieve a full manikin from the bottom of the pool and return to the surface. This must be done within a 10 m transition zone before the athlete can carry the manikin for 25 m. If this event takes place in a 50 m pool, the manikin must be positioned in the middle of the pool.

MANIKIN TOW WITH FINS

At the starting signal, the athlete must dive and swim 50 m with fins and a rescue tube. The athlete must touch the turn wall and tie the rescue tube around a ½ full manikin held in place by a teammate. This must be done within a 10 m transition zone, before the athlete can tow the manikin 50 m.

RESCUE MEDLEY

At the starting signal, the athlete must dive and swim 50 m, touch the turn wall and swim 17.5 m underwater. The athlete must retrieve a full manikin from the bottom of the pool, surface and carry it 32.5 m.

SUPER LIFESAVER

At the starting signal, the athlete must dive and swim 75 m, touch the turn wall, retrieve a full manikin from the bottom of the pool and return to the surface. This must be done within a 10 m transition zone, before the athlete can carry the manikin for 25 m. Then the athlete must touch the turn wall, release the manikin, and put on fins and a rescue tube. The athlete must swim 50 m, touch the turn wall and tie the buoy around a ½ full manikin held in place by a teammate. This must be done within a 10 m transition zone, before the athlete can tow the manikin 50 m.

 RELAY & TEAM EVENTS

LINE THROW

This is a two-athlete event. At the starting signal, the first athlete must throw an unweighted rope to reach the second athlete, holding an obstaclepositioned at 12.5 m from the starting wall. The aim is to tow the second athlete to the starting wall in less than 45 seconds.

OBSTACLE RELAY

This is a four-athlete event.At the starting signal, four athletes complete a 200 m relay. They must dive, swim 50 m and pass twice under an obstacle positioned 12.5 m from the starting wall. If this event takes place in a 50 m pool, the obstacles must be positioned at 12.5 m and 37.5 m from the starting wall.

MANIKIN RELAY

This is a four-athlete event.At the starting signal, four athletes complete a 100 m relay. They must carry a full manikin for 25 m and hand it to the next athlete. This must be done within a 10 m transition zone, before the next athlete can carry the manikin.

MEDLEY RELAY

This is a four-athlete event.At the starting signal, four athletes must complete a 200 m relay. The first athlete must swim 50 m, the second athlete must swim 50 m with fins and the third athlete must swim 50 m with a rescue tube. The fourth athlete must take the rescue tube sling from the third athlete and swim 50 m while towing the third athlete, who can kick.

WATER RESCUE

The team has between 30 and 60 seconds to set up on the pool deck. No emergency will occur during the set-up time. The team has between 5 and 8 minutes to respond to a situation that involves multiple incidents including public relations and EMS calls for major or super-major victims.

PRIORITY ASSESSMENT

Under the leadership of a team captain, the team has between 90 and 120 seconds to rescue as many victims as possible and move them to a safe location. The situations are realistic, and the victims wear little or no makeup. Manikins can simulate unconscious victims with changes such as airway obstruction (AO) or cardiac arrest (CA). A plan of action must be established to control the situation and preserve as many lives as possible. The victim priorities are in the following order:

Priority 1: Tired swimmer or able to move alone

Priority 2: Injured or non-swimming victim

Priority 3: Victims who are unconscious or not breathing

                    Victims with suspected spinal injury

Priority 4: Submerged victims

FIRST AID

The team has between 5 and 8 minutes to respond to realistic incidents that may occur during a lifeguard’s work. For example, incidents could include bleeding, respiratory arrest (RA), and cardiac arrest (CA).