World Swimming Championships 2025: Singapore opens curtain on global aquatic excellence

Singapore, July 11-Aug. 3, 2025
For the first time in history, Southeast Asia becomes the scene of one of the most prestigious international sporting events: the World Swimming Championships 2025, hosted in Singapore. The city-state hosts more than 2,500 athletes by more than 200 nations, ready to compete in 77 events spread over six aquatic disciplines.

A must-attend event for sports fans and those who follow the evolution of swimming and related specialties globally.

The featured venues and disciplines

The races take place in the heart of the Singapore Sports Hub, one of the most modern sports complexes in the world, spread across three strategic locations:

• World Aquatics Arena: the temple of lane swimming and artistic swimming.
• OCBC Aquatic Centre: dedicated to diving and water polo.
• Sentosa Island: the fascinating setting for open water competitions and diving from great heights.

The World Cup includes the six classic disciplines: swimming, diving, diving from great heights, artistic swimming, water polo and open water. Each specialty promises spectacle and competition of the highest technical level.

Dates not to be missed

The calendar is packed with exciting events and appointments:

• July 11: opening ceremony and start of water polo competitions.
• July 15-20: space for open water swimming, with the classic 5- and 10-kilometer distances and the debut of the 3-kilometer knockout format.
• July 19: official debut of the elimination sprint trial, a dynamic and spectacular format.
• July 26-Aug. 3: the highlight of the event, with the highly anticipated pool swimming competitions and finals of artistic swimming.

A global edition: more medals, more countries on the podium

After the success of the 2024 World Cup in Doha, Singapore aims to break the record of 29 medal-winning countries. It is a sign of an increasingly inclusive and competitive movement, where new nations are succeeding alongside historic superpowers such as the United States, Australia, China and Italy.

According to World Aquatics, this edition will be one of maximum global expansion in terms of participation and distribution of successes. An opportunity also to discover new and emerging talent.

News and expected protagonists

Great expectations for the debut of new stars, such as the very young Chinese Yu Zidi, just 12 years old and already qualified among the big boys. Among the big names in the competition, eyes are on Leon Marchand, who is putting all his eggs in the 200 and 400 medley, and on the artistic swimming teams, including Spain, fresh from winning bronze in the technical team event with a choreography to the notes of the Backstreet Boys.

Sports, entertainment and sustainability

Singapore also promises an eco-friendly event, with high-efficiency facilities, green mobility, and attention to the marine environment. However, there has been no shortage of problems: open water races have been the subject of discussion due to water quality and too high a temperature, forcing organizers to postpone some competitions.