The FINA World
Championships are the largest international aquatic sports event hosted by the International Swimming Federation (FINA).
It’s one of the most watched international sporting events. According to an independent report, the latest edition reached a total worldwide television audience of almost 4.5 billion viewers.
The FINA World Championships were first held in 1973 in Belgrade (Yugoslavia). From 1978-1998, the Championships were staged every four years, in the even years between Summer Olympic years. From 2001 on, the World Championships have been held every two years, in the odd years.
At present, the FINA World Championships programme includes the following aquatic sports:
- swimming
- diving
- open water swimming
- synchronised swimming
- water polo
- high diving
FINA World Championships 2015
In 2015, the FINA World Championships were held for the first time in Russia. The event was hosted by Kazan that had won the bid in July 2011 after beating Guadalajara (Mexico) and Hong Kong.
The FINA World Championships were held in Kazan on July 24-August 9, 2015. The event brought together 2,413 athletes (1,152 men and 1,261 women) and 1,495 officials representing up to 190 nations. A record number of medal events (75) were contested across six aquatic disciplines at the World Championships in Kazan.