European Aquatics will welcome a strong line-up of speakers for the Swim Safe Europe Conference 2026, bringing together leading voices from across sport, education, research and industry.
Taking place on August 7-8 in Paris, the conference will feature contributions from experts committed to advancing Learn to Swim programmes and strengthening drowning prevention efforts across Europe.
The programme includes senior representatives from European Aquatics, national federations and international organisations, alongside academics and practitioners working at the forefront of aquatic education.
Olympic experience will also be represented, offering valuable athlete perspectives to complement scientific and policy discussions.
The speakers include:
António Silva – European Aquatics President, World Aquatics Vice President, Full Professor of sports science in UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
Lotos Vincenc Šparovec – Slovenian actor and reserve military officer
Boro Strumbelj – Professor at University of Ljubljana
Rókur í Jákupsstovu – European Aquatics Bureau Member, AQUA Certified Level 3 Coach
Aisling McKeever – Head of Clubs and Education at Swim Ireland
Aldo Costa – Professor at University of Beira Interior, President of Portuguese Swimming Coaches Association & Vice-President of Portuguese Confederation of Coaches
Laurent Ciubini – General Director, French Swimming Federation
Sharon van Rouwendaal – Most decorated open water swimmer of all ime, three-time Olympic medallist, founder & CEO SvR Swim Academy, Mentor Bavarian Swimming Federation
Thorsten Muck – Director Commercial Pool Fluidra
Andras Nemeth/Gergely Kisgyorgy – VKN Sports Management
Balazs Magyar – Senior Director of Account Management EPAM Systems
This diverse mix of speakers reflects the conference’s objective of bridging theory and practice, ensuring participants gain both strategic insights and practical tools to apply within their own environments.
Further speaker announcements and session details will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
The registration link via the European Aquatics – Official Learning Centre is:
https://www.eaacademy.eu/lms/courses/swim-safe-europe-conference-2026
Deadline for entries is July 30.
Full details are available on the event’s information bulletin here: https://europeanaquatics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Info_Bulletin-SSE_Annual_Conference_2026F.pdf
