Singapore will host the Aquatic World Championships in 2025

World Aquatics announced that the 2025 Aquatic World Championships will be held in Singapore instead of Kazan, a Russian city that will not be able to organize the competition as planned due to the sanctions imposed since February 2022 due to the invasion of Ukraine.

In this way, Asia will host the Aquatic World Championships for the third time in a row because this year they will be held in Fukuoka (Japan) from July 14 to 30 and Doha (Qatar) will organize the 2024 ones.

“With a trio of consecutive World Aquatic Championships in Asia, the continent is demonstrating exceptional commitment and capacity when it comes to welcoming the best athletes in the world,” said Husain Al-Musallam, president of World Aquatics, during the announcement.

The World Swimming Championships are composed of six disciplines: swimming, jumping, water polo, artistic swimming, open water and high altitude jumping. More than 2500 athletes are expected to participate.

“Singapore has everything we hope to share with our athletes: world-class facilities, proven experience in organizing the highest quality events and a comprehensive approach to water sports that ranges from the elite level to the community,” said Husain Al-Musallam.

The Singapore Sports Center will host the 2025 Aquatic World Championships and the complex includes the National Stadium, the Singapore Indoor Stadium and the OCBC Aquatic Center, which has two 50-meter swimming pools and facilities for springboard jumping.

“World Aquatics couldn’t be happier to know that the organization of our main event for 2025 is in such good hands, thanks to the team here in Singapore,” said Al-Musallam.

The president of the Singapore Swimming Association, Mark Chay, said that “Singapore has a proud tradition of water sports. Our entire community is excited about the opportunities that will arise when bringing in the best in the world: from the teams that have represented us with honor at the Olympic Games and the World Aquatics Championships to the young people who train in our clubs.”

The announcement included Australian Ian Thorpe, the great swimming legend, winner of five gold medals at the Olympic Games (three in Sydney 2000 and two in Athens 2004): “I have been coming to the Singapore Sports School since I was 14 years old l and talked to the students about the challenges and possibilities of making sport a big part of their lives.”

“Singapore is a special place for me. To be here and see what some of those students have achieved over the past decade is a great honor. I am delighted to know that some athletes will now have the opportunity to pass on what they have learned to a new generation, as part of the most important World Aquatics event,” added Thorpe, the only swimmer to win six gold medals at World Aquatics (Fukuoka 2001).

Singapore has extensive experience in organizing this type of competition: it has already hosted World Cups in five of the six water sports and in 2018 the Junior Aquatic Swimming World Championships were held.