This article was originally published in November 2023.
The 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar will offer the same amount of prize money as the 2023 championships did.
While there were several changes in event offerings between the 2022 and 2023 championships (removing two open water races, adding high diving, and tweaking the synchro events), the 2024 championships will be a carbon copy of 2023.
2024 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS – EVENT SCHEDULE:
- February 2-10, 2024 – Diving
- February 2-10, 2024 – Artistic Swimming
- February 3-8, 2024 – Open Water Swimming
- February 4-17, 2024 – Water Polo
- February 12-14 – High Diving
- February 10-18 – Swimming
As is traditional, pool swimming will award by far the most money at the championship, almost 50% before accounting for World Record bonuses.
Synchronized swimming offers the next-most money, followed by diving, water polo, and the two-event high diving competition.
In 2023, Australian Mollie O’Callaghan won the most individual prize money among swimmers with $103,690. Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte was next with $100,000, even while only swimming two events thanks to a pair of World Records in the 50 breaststroke. The top male earner was China’s Qin Haiyang, who took home $95,000.
In total, there were $300,000 in World Record bonus money given out in 2023 in Fukuoka, which pushed prize money up to almost $6 million.
There have already been a number of big name swimmers saying they won’t compete at the 2024 World Championships, which should mean a lot of once-in-a-career opportunities for next-tier athletes to rack up some rewards.
Prize Money Summary, Per Discipline
| NO. OF EVENTS | PRIZE $ PER |
TOTAL PRIZE $
|
|
| Swimming | 42 | $65,000 | $2,730,000 |
| Open Water Swimming | 5 | $60,000 | $300,000 |
| Diving | 13 | $60,000 | $780,000 |
| Solo/Duet Synchro | 8 | $60,000 | $480,000 |
| Team Synchro | 3 | $177,500 | $532,500 |
| Water Polo | 2 | $360,000 | $720,000 |
| High Diving | 2 | $63,900 | $127,800 |
| Total | $5,670,300 | ||
| World Record Bonus (Swimming Only) | $30,000 | ||
Prize Money Distribution, Per Event
| SWIMMING | OW SWIMMING | DIVING | SYNCHRO (SOLO & DUET + MIXED DUET) | SYNCHRO (TEAM & FREE) | WATER POLO | High Diving | |
| 1st | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 | $20,000 |
| 2nd | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $40,000 | $70,000 | $15,000 |
| 3rd | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $30,000 | $60,000 | $10,000 |
| 4th | $6,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $20,000 | $50,000 | $5,000 |
| 5th | $5,000 | $4,000 | $4,000 | $4,000 | $15,000 | $40,000 | $4,000 |
| 6th | $4,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $10,000 | $30,000 | $3,000 |
| 7th | $3,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $7,500 | $20,000 | $2,000 |
| 8th | $2,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $1,000 |
| 9th | $900 | ||||||
| 10th | $800 | ||||||
| 11th | $700 | ||||||
| 12th | $500 | ||||||
| 13th | $500 | ||||||
| 14th | $500 | ||||||
| Total Per Event | $65,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $63,900 | $360,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 |
Can you keep us posted on who is accepting their invites this year?
It’s good seeing large amounts of money from World Aquatics.
Too bad the ISL isn’t around.
Maybe the ISL helped push World Aquatics to give out more money.
is there any doubt that Ledecky could win 3 Golds in open water?
Might be worth it for an extra $60k
If you are talking 10km, 5km and relay gold, the US would need a couple of random strangers to pull a rabbit out of a hat to make the male legs of relay, gold medal prospects. I don’t think it is as easy as you suggest but it would be great to see Ledecky contest (I suspect it will never happen if it hasn’t happened by now).
Has she ever swam in a competition? I don’t think you can just start handing out medals when someone has never competed in an event.
Eh, you can just look directly at how Katie Grimes does in open water and slot Ledecky in at the same distance ahead of everyone else, proportionally.
A FINA spokesman said it was “very disappointing” that “so much money is going to the athletes”. However, officials and administrators will receive “alternative compensation” from “creative revenue generation” to recognise the “incredible hard work” they put into the championships “over several hours, sometimes even a few days”.
This made me laugh in public.
For a second I thought this was actually a real statement.
Michael Andrew will take this golden opportunity as long as he remembers the procedure set by USA Swimming.
I would upvote twice if I could
MA will need Held and Alexy to decline their spots in the 50 free to make the team. He has close to 0% chance in all other events as he doesn’t even have a top 10 time in 2IM or 100 Fly and barely scratched top 10 in USA in 100 Breast during the qualification period.
If he is in shape and motivated he is a medal threat. Not sure what happened to his 100Breast tho
Crazy that Kaylee almost doubled MOC’s Worlds prize money at the World Cup. Obviously Kaylee broke world records which is great but the overall World Cup winner was always guaranteed to win more than anyone at worlds. How odd.
Also $103k seems low for Mollie.
100 free – $20k (gold)
200 free – $50k (gold + WR)
100 free relay – $12.5k (gold + WR)
200 free relay – $12.5k (gold + WR)
Mixed free relay – $12.5k (gold + WR)
Medley relay – $3250 (silver)
That’s more than $103k. Unless relay prizes are split with heat swimmers.
I believe relay prizes are split with heat swimmers. It might be up to each country to decide, but I imagine most will split it equally.
Not sure Molly’s struggling in any way