World Aquatics (formerly FINA) announced on Thursday that the 2025 World Aquatics Championships will be moved from Kazan, Russia to Kallang, Singapore. The exact dates for the future championship have not yet been set.
Russia was originally named as the host of the global multi-sport event in 2019, and the decision to move venues comes amid ongoing international debate about the role of Russia and Belarus in international sport following the countries’ invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.
World Aquatics did not mention the previous host, or that the award to Singapore was a change of venue, in its press release. This is the third global swimming championship that World Aquatics has removed from Russia since the war began, after the 2022 World Junior Swimming Championships and the 2022 World Short Course Swimming Championships.
Earlier this week, World Aquatics reiterated that it had “no updates” about the status of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
2025 will mark three consecutive editions of the world’s premier aquatic championship event in Asia. The World Aquatics Championships in 2023 will be in Fukuoka, Japan (rescheduled from 2021 and then 2022), while the 2024 World Aquatics Championships will be in Doha, Qatar, prior to the Paris Olympic Games.
“World Aquatics could not be happier to know that the hosting of our main event for 2025 is in such good hands, thanks to the team here in Singapore,” said World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam. “Singapore has everything we hope to share with our athletes: world-class facilities, proven experience of hosting events of the highest quality and a comprehensive approach to aquatic sports that runs from elite level to the community. With a back-to-back-to-back trio of World Aquatics Championships in Asia – following Fukuoka this year and Doha in 2024 – the continent is demonstrating exceptional commitment and ability when it comes to welcoming the world’s best aquatic athletes.”
Over 2,500 athletes from 209 national member federations are expected to compete.
Venues
Competition venues will include the Singapore Sports Hub, a world-class complex that includes the National Stadium, the Singapore Indoor Stadium and the OCBC Aquatic Centre.
The OCBC Aquatic Centre features two 50m pools and a diving facility and 3,000 permanent seats.
The Singapore Indoor Stadium has a seating capacity of 15,000, while the National Stadium, which will host swimming, has a capacity of 55,000, indicating the World Aquatics will return to its tradition of hosting major swimming events in temporary pools in larger multi-purpose arenas. Both World Championships in 2022 were hosted in permanent pools. World Aquatics says that the National Stadium’s capacity will be about 15,000 for the swimming portion of the World Championships, and that other venues haven’t been assigned sports yet.
The release indicated that high diving will return to the World Championship schedule after being omitted from the ad hoc 2022 championships in Budapest – mostly on logistical grounds.
Singapore
Singapore has never before hosted a World Championship in long course or short course. The country has two bronze medals across all disciplines at the World Aquatics Championships: bronze medals in the 100 fly from Joseph School in back-to-back meets in 2015 and 2017.
The country sent 14 pool swimmers to the 2022 World Aquatics Championships. One advanced to the final: Teong Tzen Wei, who placed 8th in the 50 fly.
“As you might expect from an island nation, Singapore has a proud tradition of aquatic sports. Our whole community is excited about the opportunities that will come from bringing the world’s best aquatics athletes to Singapore: from the teams that have represented us with honour at the Olympic Games and the World Aquatics Championships to the young people training in our clubs,” said Singapore Swimming Association President Mark Chay.
Any chance of finding out what month it will take place as I have commitments in June???
I haven’t seen any info about dates, unfortunately. Presume July or August.
Is there already qualifying events for this?
No not yet. We don’t know when the qualifying period will be yet, but it hasn’t been announced yet.
Sounds like Kazan will still get the 2029 World Champs so World Aquatics hasn’t quite let go of it’s dirty Russian laundry.
Singapore is infinitely better location than Russia.
I’ve been to both & Russia (prior to the war) was definitely much better, St Petersburg, one of the best cities I have ever visited.
“Better” is such a vague term. By what criteria?
Fact is that they’re both dictatorships at this point and that can’t be “better” by anyone’s measure.
It seems there is zero chance the US will ever host the World Aquatics Championships
Why would the US want to? World Aquatics massively rips you off and has all sorts of unfavorable conditions.
Why would we want the corrupt members of FINA in USA?
Might have to schedule myself a holiday in Singapore now
If Schooling trains hard for two years he might still contend for a medal to end his career with a bang. Big if tho.
Yeaaaa big doubt but hey maybe thats just what he needs to rip a 50 point in practice
Ironic WA is making this announcement when swimming, high diving and diving don’t have any official events for 2023 as lead up to the WC in Fukuoka. Disgraceful.
Braden, we need an article on the calendar delays and how they are affecting competion!
https://www.fina.org/competitions?group=FINA&year=2023&month=latest&disciplines=
World Aquatics early-2023 calendar is an absolute joke. Nothing is confirmed at all and we are the second week in Feb. POOR FORM
spot on! scheduling is a farce. People in diving are furious.