The Olympics aren’t 2021’s only swimming spectacle. Starting December 16, the world’s top swimmers are back in the spotlight at FINA’s Short Course World Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi.
This year’s event features more than a pool competition. FINA has combined pool swimming, open water swimming and diving competitions to create the World Aquatics Festival, running December 15-21. Events include:
- FINA World Swimming Championships (25m)
- FINA High Diving Qualifier
- FINA Diving Team Exhibition
- Open Water Swimming Mixed Relay
- FINA/CSNG Marathon Swim World Series Finale (10km)
More than 1,000 athletes from 180 countries will compete at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. With $3.1 million in prize money at stake (the largest prize pool ever offered for a FINA event), we’re sure to see a few athletes going home with big paydays.
New Events
High diving is a new addition to the schedule and is sure to be an epic spectacle. Divers leap off of platforms that are 20 meters high for women and 27 meters high for men. They must enter the water feet-first, and can reach speeds of up to 90 km per hour during their descent to the water’s surface.
A new, mixed event was also added to the Diving Team Exhibition, in which men and women alternate between the 3-meter springboard and the 10-meter platform.
New on the swimming side of things is the mixed open water relay. 2 men and 2 women will each swim 1.5km, for a total of 6km.
If the schedule is any indication, FINA’s World Aquatics Festival should be the perfect end cap to a jam-packed year of swimming!
View the swimming schedule and results here>
How to watch FINA World Champs >