FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)

On 22 July, 2015, the International Swimming Federation announced at their General Assembly meeting in the Russian city of Kazan that Abu Dhabi had won the privilege of hosting the 15th FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m).

* In April 2021, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council confirmed that their staging of the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) would run from 16 to 21 December, 2021.

* The Abu Dhabi Sports Council held a press conference in June 2021, in which it reviewed the latest developments and organisational preparations for the tournament.

* The hawksbill sea turtle ‘Dana’, the tournament mascot, was unveiled. These turtles, which face the threat of extinction, are distinguished by their swimming skill and agility under the surface of the water. Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi is one of the natural habitats of the hawksbill turtle species.

* Swimmer Yousef Al Matrooshi, 18, and Laila Al Khatib, 14, were chosen to represent the UAE national team in the tournament.

* The Abu Dhabi Sports Council also announced community programmes before the start of the event, which included the Swimming Safety Ambassador Programme, whose graduates became certified safety ambassadors. Additionally, there were educational programmes created for schools and swimming clubs featuring the mascot, Dana, as well as a virtual swimming event.

* In September 2021, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council revealed the organisation of an international water sports festival with the participation of more than 1,000 athletes representing more than 180 nationalities, to celebrate the start of the countdown of 100 days until the start of the FINA World Swimming Championships.

* The festival’s activities included new sporting events held on the sidelines of the World Swimming Championships, which were: the FINA High Diving Qualifiers, the FINA Diving Team Exhibition, the Open Water Mixed Team Relay, and 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup finals.

* In October 2021, the local organising committee reviewed preparations for the global event, during an official visit to the headquarters of the International Swimming Federation in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

* In November of the same year, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council announced open positions for volunteers and support staff in supporting the organisational operations of the World Swimming Championships competitions.

* The Abu Dhabi Sports Council hosted the International Swimming Referees Qualification Course, organised by the World Swimming Championships Organising Committee, in cooperation with the International Swimming Federation.

 

* His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, attended the official opening of the World Swimming Championships and the Abu Dhabi World Aquatics Festival at the Etihad Arena.

* The tournament agenda included 44 different swimming competitions (22 for men, 22 for women).

* It was the largest swimming championship in the history of the world, with the participation of 1,182 male and female swimmers from 189 countries.

* Male and female swimmers competed in all four categories: Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke and Butterfly, which included sub-competitions for individual, medley and relay races.

* The competitions were held at the Etihad Arena, which is the largest multi-use indoor arena in the region, having been opened on Yas Island in 2020.

* The 15th edition of the World Championship, organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council from 16 to 21 December 2021, is the largest in terms of prize money, with a total of USD 3.2 million.

* Swimmers competed in 57 major finals, during which 171 medals were distributed.

* 65 referees oversaw the competitions, including 25 Emirati referees.

* There were 8 short-distance swimming referees, 13 long-distance swimming referees, and 4 diving and high diving referees.

* More than 3,162 people occupied Abu Dhabi hotel rooms during the tournament period, including swimmers, their families, technicians, media professionals, and representatives of the International Federation participating in, organising, and covering the competitions.

* The International Swimming Federation (FINA) honored His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, prior to the start of a special General Assembly, which was held on the sidelines of the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m).

* Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Al Hafnawi was the sole Arab medal winner, having won silver in the 1,500-metre freestyle.

 

* Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, passed down the honours of hosting the 16th edition of the World Championship to Vladimir Linov, Minister of Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Record Numbers

The uniqueness of the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Abu Dhabi was not limited to the level of creativity in organisation and the record numbers of participants and cash prizes, but rather, this coincided with the high technical skills displayed by the male and female swimmers, demonstrated by breaking 4 world records and 10 records at the championship level.

A Different Challenge

The biggest challenge lay in converting the Etihad Arena floor into two swimming pools suspended above-ground, via a sturdy platform raised over an area of ​​200 metres. One was for swimmers warming up and the other for competitions. Their completion required 16,000kgs of steel and 15,000 pipes and valves, covered by a membrane covering 200 metres, to create a swimming pool that met international specifications and the highest standards.

 

FINA: The Etihad Arena is the best in the history of the World Swimming Championships

The International Swimming Federation (FINA) confirmed that the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi was the best complex to have hosted the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in the tournament’s history. On its official website, Vienna reviewed the splendor of the Etihad Arena, in which it stated: ‘The FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) were staged at various sites, ranging from classic swimming pools to an ice-hockey arena and a giant tennis hall. Now the Etihad Arena offers perhaps the best-ever settings for FINA’s year-ending showcase: a state-of-the-art complex, transformed into a fantastic swimming venue.’

 

Teams Ranking

Ranking. Country: Gold, Silver, Bronze (Total)

1. USA: 9, 9, 12, (30)

2. Canada: 7, 6, 2, (15)

3. Italy: 5, 5, 6 (16)

4. Russia: 4, 7, 4, (15)

5. Sweden: 4, 5, 3, (12)

 

Men’s 27m High Diving Results

Gold: Aidan Heslop (GBR), 436.90 points

Silver: Cătălin Preda (ROU), 433.55 points

Bronze: Constantin Popovici (ROU), 423 points

 

Women’s 20m High Diving Results

Gold: Rhiannan Iffland (AUS), 359.6 points

Silver: Molly Carlson (CAN), 323.5 points

Bronze: Yana Nestsiarava (BLR), 307.9 points

 

Mixed 3m & 10m Team Results

Gold: Brazil (Kawan Figueredo Pereira, Luana Lira, Ingrid Oliveira), 416.5 points

Silver: United Kingdom (Matthew Dixon, James Heatly, Robyn Birch), 385 points

Bronze: China (Li Zheng, Quan Hongchan, Wang Han, Lian Junjie), 384.20 points

 

Mixed 4×1500m Relay Results

Gold: Italy 1:06:49.10 hours

Silver: Hungary, 1:06:51.70 hours

Bronze: Germany, 1:07:29.00 hours

 

Men’s 10km Marathon Open Water Swimming Results

First: Florian Wellbrock, Germany, 1:48:09.40 hours

Second: Domenico Acerenza, Italy, 1:48:11.46 hours

Third: Kristóf Rasovszky, Hungary, 1:48:23.6 hours

Men's Overall Ranking 2021 after all FINA/CNSG Open Water Events

Gold: Kristóf Rasovszky, Hungary, 2,250 points

Silver: Marc-Antoine Olivier, France, 2,400 points

Bronze: Niklas Frach, Germany, 1,650 points

 

Women's 10km Marathon Open Water Swimming Results

Gold: Leonie Beck, Germany, 1:58:17.00 hours

Silver: Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil, 1:58:19.30 hours

Bronze: Sharon van Rouwendaal, Netherlands, 1:58:22.10 hours