The World Aquatics Championships has been postponed for a second time. The event, scheduled for 2021, was then pushed back until 2022 because of a clash with the rescheduled Olympic Games.
Because of the prevailing Covid situation, the World Aquatics Championships has received another delay. There is now confirmation that the event will be held back until next year.
World Aquatics Championships get new 2023 slot
The mayor of Fukuoka cited issues with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 as the reason for moving the event again. The 19th FINA World Aquatics Championships will now get a slot on the 2023 calendar of July 14th – 30th, still to take place in the original host city.
Because the contract between FINA and Fukuoka was signed before the pandemic outbreak, specific clauses would have to have been met for the city to lose the championships.
That hasn’t happened, and while restrictions make the rescheduled May 2022 date unavailable, Fukuoka holds on to the championship hosting duties, with just the date changing.
Following edition moves to 2024
The latest alterations to the plans for the World Aquatics Championships see it move to a position just six months before the following edition.
The original booking for the 20th FINA World Aquatics Championships was November 2023. But that has now been moved to January 2024 in a reshuffle.
“FINA will continue to prioritise the welfare of competition participants and take decisions as early as possible given the circumstances, to provide a measure of certainty to aquatics athletes and those who support them,” FINA President Husain Al-Musallam.
National swimming associations will now, therefore, see their 2022 calendars open up a little more as a result of the changes.
