20th World Aquatics Championships
Host cityFukuoka, Japan
Date(s)14–30 July 2023
Venue(s)3
Nations participating195
Athletes participating2,392
Officially opened byFumihito
Marine Messe Hall A, Swimming & Artistic Swimming Venue, Fukuoka.

The 2023 World Aquatics Championships, the 20th edition of the World Aquatics Championships, were held in Fukuoka, Japan, from 14 to 30 July 2023. Originally scheduled to be held in 2021 as the 19th championships, the championships were postponed until May 2022 in response to the rescheduling of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The event was pushed back a second time to 2023 due to ongoing travel restrictions and safety measures in place in Japan.[2] In its place, Budapest hosted the 19th Championships from 18 June to 3 July 2022, while the originally scheduled 2023 championships in Doha, Qatar, were moved to 2024.

It was the second time Fukuoka hosted the event having previously held the 9th World Aquatics Championships in 2001, with South Africa's Roland Schoeman (swimming) and Spain's Felipe Perone (water polo) the only two athletes to compete in both the 2001 and 2023 championships. [3]

The championships included 2,392 athletes competing from 192 member federations. While originally listed as 195 nations competing, due to the status of their member federation with World Aquatics, athletes from both the Philippines and Kenya were required to compete under the banner 'Suspended Member Federation', while two athletes of Syrian heritage competed under the banner 'World Aquatics Refugee Team'. World Aquatics ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus remained in effect for these championships.[4]

These championships were the first edition of the championships to be held under the new World Aquatics branding following the renaming of the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) in December 2022.[5]

Host selection

The competition was originally to be held in Budapest, Hungary, in the summer of 2021.[6] This was announced on 19 July 2013, at the biennial General Congress of World Aquatics (then FINA) in Barcelona, the host-city of the 2013 World Aquatics Championships.

However, in March 2015, it was announced that Budapest would instead host the 2017 Championships, after Guadalajara, Mexico, pulled out from the organization of the championships for financial reasons. A new bidding procedure was opened for both the 2021 and 2023 events.[7][8]

On 9 June 2015, World Aquatics (then FINA) reported it had received expressions of interest for the 2021 and 2023 FINA World Championships from Argentina, Australia (Melbourne or Sydney), China (Wuhan or Nanjing), Germany (two potential cities), Japan, Turkey and Qatar. On 30 June 2015, an information meeting was organised for the nations and cities which had shown interest in bidding.[9] This meeting was attended by representatives of cities from six countries: Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Istanbul (Turkey), Nanjing (China), Fukuoka (Japan), Doha (Qatar).[10] Bidding cities were then asked to present FINA with an executed Host City Agreement by October 26, 2015, and to make a formal presentation to the FINA Bureau on November 8, 2015. Australia and Germany were the first two countries to quit the bidding race and were followed by Argentina. Two others, Turkey and United Arab Emirates, had also shown interest, but withdrew before the presentation stage.[11] With all other interested cities formerly withdrawing, on October 2, 2015, FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu confirmed there were three final bidders: Nanjing (China), Fukuoka (Japan), and Doha (Qatar).[12]

On 31 January 2016, each of the bids were presented in a formal presentation at the FINA Bureau meeting in Budapest. After a vote, FINA announced Fukuoka as 2021 hosts and Doha as 2023 hosts.[13]

In a press release issued on the same day, FINA President Julio Maglione stated: “Today we were presented three extraordinary bids fulfilling all requirements and having great facilities. Both winning cities, Fukuoka and Doha, are strong partners of FINA and will offer optimal conditions for the organisation of these Championships. There is a very strong commitment from the local authorities to welcome this event in their respective dynamic metropolis.”[14]

Venues

The Fukuoka championships had three main venue precincts. Swimming, artistic swimming, the closing ceremony, and the international broadcast center, were all based at Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A (part of the Fukuoka Convention Center), built for the 1995 Summer Universiade and also used during the 2001 World Aquatics Championships.[15] Water polo events were based at the newly built Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall B. The opening ceremony was held at Boat Race Fukuoka in Fukuoka City.[16]

Schedule

A total of 75 medal events were held across six disciplines. The program returned to the traditional schedule with artistic swimming, diving, and open water swimming staged during week one, swimming and high diving in week two, and water polo matches across both weeks.[17][18]

●Opening ceremony ●Other competitions ●Finals ●Closing ceremony MMen's matches WWomen's matches
July 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Total
Ceremonies ● ● -
Swimming 5 4 5 5 5 5 6 7 42
Open water swimming 1 1 2 1 5
Artistic swimming ● 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 11
Diving ● 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 13
High diving ● 1 1 2
Water polo W M W M W M W M W M W M W M 2
Total 0 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 3 5 4 5 6 6 6 7 7 75
Cumulative Total 0 5 10 14 18 21 24 26 29 34 38 43 49 55 61 68 75 75

Medal table

  *   Host nation (Japan)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 China2081240
2 Australia159630
3 United States7221544
4 Japan*41510
5 France4048
6 Germany4037
7 Spain3249
8 Italy27514
9 Great Britain25512
10 Canada23510
11 Hungary2204
12 Tunisia2103
13 Lithuania2002
 Sweden2002
15 Netherlands1225
16 Austria1203
17 Romania1102
 South Africa1102
19 Mexico0527
20 Ukraine0112
21 Colombia0101
 Greece0101
 Hong Kong0101
 Poland0101
 Portugal0101
26 Brazil0011
 Kazakhstan0011
 New Zealand0011
 South Korea0011
  Switzerland0011
Totals (30 entries)757774226
Source: World Aquatics

Participating countries

See also

References

  1. ↑ "New dates set for world swim championships: May 13-19, 2022". AP NEWS. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "FINA postpones Fukuoka-hosted 2022 World Championships because of COVID-19". 24 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  3. ↑ Zaccardi, Nick (31 January 2016). "Fukuoka, Doha chosen as World Aquatics Championships hosts". NBC Sports. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "PRESS RELEASE | World Aquatics Bureau meets, discusses the status of athletes from Russia and Belarus". World Aquatics. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "FINA becomes World Aquatics as new brand launched". World Aquatics. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  6. ↑ "Gwangju, Budapest win right to host worlds". Reuters. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Budapest (HUN) to host FINA World Championships in 2017". World Aquatics. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Budapest to host 2017 rather than 2021 World Aquatics Championships". Inside the Games. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "FINA encouraged by strong interest for its 2021 and 2023 World Championships". World Aquatics. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "FINA World Championships 2021 & 2023: potential bidders meet in Lausanne". World Aquatics. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  11. ↑ "Qatar, China and Japan only bidders for world championships". SBS News. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  12. ↑ "Qatar, China and Japan only bidders for world championships". SBS News. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  13. ↑ Marsteller, Jason (31 January 2016). "FINA Names Fukuoka (2021), Doha (2023) Hosts for Future FINA World Championships". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  14. ↑ Marsteller, Jason (31 January 2016). "FINA Names Fukuoka (2021), Doha (2023) Hosts for Future FINA World Championships". Swimming World News. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  15. ↑ "Fukuoka 2023 Venues". Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  16. ↑ "Boat Race Fukuoka".
  17. ↑ Koos, Tonrin (13 January 2023). "World Aquatics announces the competition schedule for the World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka 2023". World Aquatics. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka 2023" (PDF). Retrieved 17 January 2023.
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