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World Aquatics
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World Aquatics,[3] formerly known as FINA (French: Fédération internationale de natation; English: International Swimming Federation),[a] is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)[4] for administering international competitions in water sports. It is one of several international federations which administer a given sport or discipline for both the IOC and the international community. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Key Information
Founded as FINA (Fédération internationale de natation; International Swimming Federation) in 1908, the federation was officially renamed World Aquatics in January 2023.[3]
World Aquatics currently oversees competition in six aquatics sports: swimming, diving, high diving, artistic swimming,[5][6] water polo, and open water swimming.[7] World Aquatics also oversees "Masters" competition (for adults) in its disciplines.[7]
History
[edit]
FINA was founded on 19 July 1908 in the Manchester Hotel in London, at the end of the 1908 Summer Olympics. Eight national federations were responsible for the formation of FINA: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary and Sweden.[8]
In 1973, the first World Aquatics Championships were staged in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, with competitions held in swimming, water polo, diving and synchronized swimming.[9] Dr. Hal Henning, who had formerly served as Chair of the U.S. Olympic Swim Committee, was FINA's first American president from 1972 through 1976 where he was highly instrumental in starting the first World Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, and in retaining the number of swimming events in the Olympics which favored countries with larger, more balanced swim teams.[10]
In 1986, the first permanent FINA office was opened in Lausanne, Switzerland.[11]
In 1991, open water swimming was added to the program of the World Aquatics Championships.[12]
In 1993, the first edition of the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) was staged in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.[13]
In 2010, FINA convened the first edition of the FINA World Aquatics Convention in Punta del Este, Uruguay.[14]
In 2013, high diving was added to the program of the World Aquatics Championships.[15]
In 2015, FINA staged the first dual World Aquatics Championships and FINA World Masters Championships (later known World Aquatics Masters Championships) in Kazan Russia, run consecutively in the one city for the first time.[16]
In 2018, FINA celebrated 110 years by inaugurating a new headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.[17]
On 12 December 2022, during the Extraordinary General Congress held in Melbourne, Australia, the Congress approved a new Constitution and voted to adopt a new name for the organisation, World Aquatics.[18]
In July 2023, the World Aquatics General Congress approved the headquarters would be moving to Budapest, Hungary (host city of the 2017, 2022 and 2027 championships) was in the ‘final stage’ of negotiations to move.[19] The center is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2026, but the organization intends to move some of it to the Hungarian capital in the second half of next year.[20] In November 2024, they opened their interim office before a full, complete transfer by 2027.[21]
Number of national federations by year:
Members
[edit]In June 2017, Bhutan became the 208th national member federation of FINA (now World Aquatics);[24] and on 30 November 2017, Anguilla became the 209th national member federation.[25] As of 2025, São Tomé and Príncipe had become the 210th member federation.[26] World Aquatics also permits athletes not affiliated with a member federation to compete at events under the 'Athlete Refugee Team' banner.[27] Athletes from Russia and Belarus are currently only allowed to compete as neutrals due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.[28][29]
Members are grouped by continent, and there are 5 continental associations of which they can choose to be a member:[30]

- Africa (53): Africa Aquatics
- Americas (45): PanAm Aquatics
- Asia (45): Asia Aquatics
- Europe (52): European Aquatics
- Oceania (15): Oceania Aquatics
Note: The number following each continental name is the number of World Aquatics members which fall into the given geographical area. It is not necessarily the number of members in the continental association.
Organisation & Structure
[edit]Under the new World Aquatics Constitution, ratified in December 2022, under clause 12, the following bodies are established to govern and administer World Aquatics:[31]
- The Congress
- The Bureau
- The Executive
- The Aquatics Integrity Unit
- The Athletes Committee
- The Technical Committees
- The Specialised Committees
The World Aquatics Congress is the highest authority of World Aquatics and shall have the power to decide upon any matters arising within World Aquatics. A Congress is held either as an Ordinary Congress or as an Extraordinary Congress. A Congress may be held in person, by teleconference, by video conference or by another means of communication. Voting by correspondence (including email) and/or online is permitted. An Ordinary Congress shall be held every two (2) years, in principle at the site and on the occasion of the World Championships or of another major World Aquatics event.[32] An Extraordinary Congress shall be convened either by a decision of the Bureau or following a request in writing submitted to the Bureau by email by at least one fifth (1/5) of the Members.[33] Each Member shall be represented by up to two (2) duly appointed delegates with voting rights. Each of the twenty (20) elected members of the Athletes Committee shall have one (1) vote at a Congress. The Honorary President is chair with no voting power. Continental Organisations can appoint up to two (2) representatives who may attend the Congress as observers, without any voting power.[33]
The World Aquatics Bureau consists of the President and thirty-nine (39) Bureau Members:
- President: The President is elected by the Congress.
- Continental Representatives: Twenty-two (22) Bureau Members are elected by the Congress as continental representatives distributed geographically and per gender as follows: Africa: five (5), with no more than three (3) representatives of a single gender; America: five (5), with no more than three (3) representatives of a single gender; Asia: five (5), with no more than three (3) representatives of a single gender; Europe: five (5), with no more than three (3) representatives of a single gender; and Oceania: two (2), with one (1) of each gender. From these roles elected are five (5) Vice Presidents, one from each of the five Continents, including the First Vice President and the Second Vice President; and the Treasurer.
- World-at-Large Bureau Members: Sixteen (16) additional Bureau Members are elected by the Congress as World-at-Large Bureau Members, distributed geographically and per gender as follows: Africa: three (3), with no more than two (2) representatives of a single gender; America: four (4), with no more than three (3) representatives of a single gender; Asia: four (4), with no more than three (3) representatives of a single gender; Europe: four (4), with no more than three (3) representatives of a single gender; and Oceania: one (1), female or male.
- Athletes Committee: The Chair of the Athletes Committee is ex officio a Bureau Member.[33]
Various committees and commissions also help with the oversight of individual disciplines (e.g. the Technical Open Water Swimming Committee helps with open water), or topic-related issues (e.g. the World Aquatics Doping Panel).[34] The organization signed an agreement with the Hungarian government in May 2023, planning to relocate its headquarters from Switzerland to Budapest, Hungary. However, the World Aquatics Congress needs to approve unanimously in order for the relocation to be finalized.[35]
Current bureau members
[edit]| Office[36] | Officeholder | Country |
|---|---|---|
| President | Husain Al-Musallam | Kuwait |
| First Vice President | Sam Ramsamy | South Africa |
| Second Vice President | Matthew Dunn | Australia |
| Treasurer | Dale Neuburger | United States |
| Vice President | Juan Carlos Orihuela | Paraguay |
| António Silva | Portugal | |
| Zhou Jihong | China | |
| Executive Director | Brent Nowicki | United States |
Presidents
[edit]Each presidential term is four years, beginning and concluding with the year following the Summer Olympics.
| FINA/World Aquatics presidents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Country | Term |
| George Hearn | 1908–1924 | |
| Erik Bergvall | 1924–1928 | |
| Émile-Georges Drigny | 1928–1932 | |
| Walther Binner | 1932–1936 | |
| Harold Fern | 1936–1948 | |
| René de Raeve | 1948–1952 | |
| M.L. Negri | 1952–1956 | |
| Jan de Vries | 1956–1960 | |
| Max Ritter | 1960–1964 | |
| William Berge Phillips | 1964–1968 | |
| Javier Ostos Mora[37] | 1968–1972 | |
| Harold Henning | 1972–1976 | |
| Javier Ostos Mora (2nd term)[37] | 1976–1980 | |
| Ante Lambaša | 1980–1984 | |
| Robert Helmick | 1984–1988 | |
| Mustapha Larfaoui | 1988–2009 | |
| Julio Maglione | 2009–2021 | |
| Husain Al-Musallam | 2021–present | |
Tournaments
[edit]
World Aquatics Championships
[edit]World Aquatics' largest event is the biennial World Aquatics Championships, traditionally held every odd year, where all of the six aquatic disciplines are contested. A 50m length pool is used for swimming races.
The World Open Water Swimming Championships (also known as 'Open Water Worlds') is part of the World Aquatics Championships. Additional standalone editions of the Open Water Championships were also held in the even years from 2000 to 2010.
The World Masters Championships (also known as 'Masters Worlds) is open to athletes 25 years and above (30+ years in water polo) in each aquatics discipline excluding high diving and has been held as part of the World Aquatics Championships since 2015.[38] Prior to this, the Masters Championship was held separately, biennially in even years.
Prior to the 9th World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka in 2001, the championships had been staged at various intervals of two to four years. From 2001 to 2019 the championships were held biennially in odd years. Due to interruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions, and host venues withdrawing from hosting championships and World Aquatics withdrawing the rights to host championships, from 2022 to 2025 the championships will be staged in every year until resuming to biennial from 2025 onwards.
Stand-alone discipline competitions
[edit]World Aquatics also organizes separate tournaments and series for individual disciplines, including competitions for juniors.[39]
Discipline world tournaments
[edit]- Swimming: World Swimming Championships (25m), (also known as 'Short Course Worlds', an even-years biennial event held in 25m length pool)
- Water polo: Men's and Women's Water Polo World Cup, replacing the former Water Polo World Leagues
- Diving: Diving World Cup (biennial)
- High diving: High Diving World Cup (annual)
Discipline world series
[edit]- Swimming: Swimming World Cup (annual usually in 25m pool, but held in 50m pool in pre-Olympic years)
- Diving: Diving World Series (annual)
- Artistic swimming: Artistic Swimming World Cup (annual - called World Series 2017–2022)[40]
- Open water swimming: Marathon Swim World Series (annual)
Junior championships
[edit]World-level championships restricted to a younger age, with the age limit varying by discipline and gender:
- Swimming: World Junior Swimming Championships (biennial)
- Water polo: Junior, Youth and Cadet Water Polo World Championships (biennial)[41]
- Diving: World Junior Diving Championships (biennial)[42]
- Artistic swimming: World Junior Artistic Swimming Championships (biennial)[5][6]
- Open water swimming: World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships (biennial)[43]
Sport name changes
[edit]In 2017, FINA officially renamed the sport of synchronised swimming as Artistic Swimming for its competitions to reflect the expansion in evaluation criteria in the sport to include not only synchronization but other elements such as choreography and artistic expression.[5][44]
Bans
[edit]Retired athletes
[edit]In relation to anti-doping rule violations, World Aquatics does enact suspensions on athletes who are retired from their respective sport at the time of ban implementation, with examples including Lithuanian Rūta Meilutytė (2019–2021) and Russians Artem Lobuzov (2021–2025), Alexandra Sokolova (2021–2025), and Artem Podyakov (2021–2025).[45][46]
Russia and Belarus bans
[edit]Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials were banned from every FINA (World Aquatics) event through the end of 2022.[47] FINA also cancelled FINA events in Russia, and banned Russian and Belarusian teams through to the 19th FINA World Championships Budapest 2022.[47] In March 2022, after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FINA banned all Russians and Belarusians from competing at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships and withdrew the 2022 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) from being held in Russia.[48] This came after indefinitely banning athletes and officials of both countries from wearing the colours of their country, swimming representing their country with their country's name, and the playing of their country's national anthem in case an athlete from either country won an event.[49] Additionally, times swum by Russians at non-FINA competitions for the April to December 2022 time frame did not count for world rankings nor world records.[50] On the 4 September 2023, World Aquatics announced the capacity and criteria for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at competitions as 'Neutral Independent Athletes'.[51]
Controversies
[edit]Transgender athlete restrictions
[edit]On 19 June 2022, FINA (World Aquatics) "committed to the separation of Aquatics sports into men's and women's categories according to sex" by a 71% vote, adopting a new policy on eligibility for the men's and women's competition categories.[52][53][54] This policy effectively bars all transgender women from competing in professional women's swimming, with the exception of athletes who "can establish to FINA's comfortable satisfaction that they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 (of puberty) or before age 12, whichever is later". Athletes who previously took masculinizing hormone therapy (namely testosterone) may also compete in the women's category as long any testosterone use was post-puberty and less than a year in total, and the person's testosterone levels are back to pre-treatment levels. Transgender men remained fully eligible to compete in the men's category. FINA also announced the development of a separate "open" category for some events, to be determined by a working group over the next six months, so that "everybody has the opportunity to compete at an elite level".[55][56][57] The decision was criticized as "discriminatory, harmful, unscientific and not in line with the 2021 IOC principles" by LGBT advocacy group Athlete Ally.[58]
Though swimmer Lia Thomas formally challenged the new rule that disqualified her from competition, in June 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that she lacked standing to do so and would remain ineligible to compete.[59]
Vice President Zhou Jihong
[edit]In May 2022, New Zealand diving judge Lisa Wright revealed that during the 2020 Summer Olympics, FINA Vice President, Zhou Jihong, allegedly launched a verbal tirade at Wright at the conclusion of the men's 10m platform final. Wright alleged that Zhou verbally abused her for underscoring Chinese divers.[60] Diving New Zealand subsequently complained about the incident to FINA's Ethics Panel. As a result, Zhou was ordered by in a FINA Ethics Panel decision[61] to write a letter of apology to Wright.[61] A recommendation was also made by the Ethics Panel to disestablish Zhou's position as Diving Bureau Liaison for FINA. The FINA Ethics Panel stated that the incident during the men's platform final was "unfortunate" and led to a "misunderstanding mixed with misjudgement" between Wright and Zhou.[62]
In May 2022, former international diver, Olympic judge and previous member of FINA's Technical Diving Committee from New Zealand Simon Latimer revealed he had sent a whistleblower complaint[63] to FINA's Executive Director Brent Nowicki in December 2021 detailing Zhou's alleged "unethical behavior" which also contained allegations that Zhou has routinely coached Chinese divers during major events such as the Olympics and World Championships and she had manipulated judging panels in order to benefit Chinese athletes. Latimer claimed that Zhou's behavior was tarnishing the reputation of international diving and that she was acting in the interests of China rather than international diving as a whole.
Subsequent to Latimer's complaint, video evidence emerged online showing Zhou coaching Chinese divers during competition sessions at the 2020 Summer Olympics, a behavior considered unethical given her supposedly neutral role as a FINA Vice President and Diving Bureau Liaison.[64]
In July 2022, Latimer was not re-elected to FINA's Technical Diving Committee, and Zhou was one of the FINA Bureau Member's who had input in the selection process.[65] In 2022 FINA's By Laws[66] were updated to state that the Bureau Liaison position that Zhou holds should not interfere on the field of play during competitions and that individuals holding that position shall not act as a Team Leader or coach at international events including the Olympic Games.
Soul Cap
[edit]In 2021, FINA (World Aquatics) came under criticism for not approving the use at the Olympics of the Soul Cap, a brand of swimming caps designed for natural Black hair.[67] FINA said the caps did not fit "the natural form of the head" and to their "best knowledge the athletes competing at the international events never used, neither require … caps of such size and configuration."[67] After receiving criticism about racism, FINA announced that they would review their decision. Later in 2022, FINA decided to approve the Soul Caps for future FINA events (effective immediately).
Doping
[edit]In 2024, a member of the World Aquatics' anti-doping advisory body said that it was "inexplicably and forcibly shut out of the review" concerning positive tests from 23 Chinese swimmers in the lead-up to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.[68] As a result of the doping scandal, in June 2024, a former deputy director of the World Anti-Doping Agency said that athletes had "zero confidence" in World Aquatics.[69][70] In July 2024, World Aquatics confirmed that its executive director was subpoenaed to testify to U.S. authorities as part of a criminal investigation into the Chinese swimmers' doping tests.[71]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
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- ^ "FINA Media Kit for the 2010 FINA World Aquatics Convention" (PDF). 22 February 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2010. . (The listing and structure of the "Events" section is based on the event listing in this packet.)
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- ^ a b "PRESS RELEASE | FINA Bureau meets, acknowledges decision to suspend Russian swimmer Evgeny Rylov". FINA - Fédération Internationale De Natation.
- ^ "FINA Bureau meets, makes further decisions on Russian and Belarusian athletes and event hosting". FINA.org (Press release). FINA. 23 March 2022. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
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- ^ Keith, Braden (23 April 2022). "Russia Confirms that Suspended Rylov Will Be Allowed at Russian Championships". SwimSwam. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ "World Aquatics Bureau Approves Participation of Neutral Individual Athletes, Under Strict New Criteria". World Aquatics. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
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- ^ De la Fuente, Homero (20 June 2022). "International Swimming Federation votes to restrict transgender athletes from competing in elite women's aquatics competitions". CNN. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
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- ^ Almasy, Steve; Sterling, Wayne (13 June 2024). "Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas loses challenge of rules barring her from elite women's races". CNN. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ Ramsay, George (12 May 2022). "She apologized for verbally abusing an Olympic judge, but questions over the conduct of China's 'Iron Lady' of diving remain". CNN. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
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External links
[edit]World Aquatics
View on GrokipediaHistory
Founding and Initial Governance (1908–1940s)
The Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), predecessor to World Aquatics, was founded on 19 July 1908 in London's Manchester Hotel, immediately following the 1908 Summer Olympics. George W. Hearn, president of Great Britain's Amateur Swimming Association, orchestrated the inaugural meeting, uniting delegates from eight national federations—Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, and Sweden—to create a centralized authority for aquatic sports. This establishment addressed the need for uniform rules in swimming, diving, and water polo, disciplines prominent at the Olympics, while enforcing strict amateur status to preserve competitive integrity against emerging professionalism.[1][5][6] Early governance operated through a basic executive bureau, comprising an honorary secretary-treasurer and representatives from member nations, without an immediate formal presidency. Hearn filled the secretary-treasurer role from 1908 to 1928, managing statutes, rule codification, and affiliation processes during the federation's formative congresses, which prioritized technical standards like stroke techniques and pool dimensions. Membership expanded modestly to around 15 federations by the 1920s, concentrated in Europe, as FINA focused on Olympic alignment and dispute resolution among national bodies. This structure emphasized consensus-driven decisions via periodic general congresses, laying groundwork for international event sanctioning.[7][8] The presidency was formalized in 1928 with the election of Émile-Georges Drigny from France, who served until 1932 and advanced rule refinements amid growing participation. Harold Fern of Great Britain succeeded him in 1934, presiding until 1948 and overseeing governance continuity despite World War II's onset in 1939, which halted cross-border competitions and limited activities to domestic levels in neutral or less-affected regions. Under Fern, FINA preserved administrative operations, including correspondence and rule maintenance, enabling a swift post-1945 recovery with reinstated Olympic integrations. By the late 1940s, the bureau had evolved to include vice-presidents and technical committees, reflecting stabilized operations across 20-plus members.Post-War Expansion and Discipline Integration (1950s–1990s)
Following World War II, FINA resumed full operations amid global recovery, with membership expanding as decolonization in Asia, Africa, and Latin America enabled the formation of new national federations. By the mid-1950s, the organization had integrated synchronized swimming as a competitive discipline, establishing technical rules and a dedicated committee to govern routines combining swimming, gymnastics, and music.[9] This addition marked the first major post-war discipline expansion, building on FINA's core sports of swimming, diving, and water polo, and reflected growing interest in artistic elements of aquatics.[10] Under presidents such as Max Ritter (Switzerland, 1952–1960) and Bill Phillips (Australia, 1960–1968), FINA hosted congresses to standardize rules and foster international participation, culminating in the 1973 inaugural World Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, which unified competitions across swimming, diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming for the first time.[11][1] The 1970s and 1980s saw further integration of gender-specific events, including the introduction of women's water polo through FINA's first Women's Water Polo World Cup in 1979, which provided a platform for international competition ahead of its inclusion in World Championships in 1986.[12] Leadership transitioned to presidents Javier Ostos (Mexico, 1968–1972) and Harold Henning (USA, 1972–1984), who emphasized technical commissions to refine discipline rules and promote development programs for emerging federations. In 1986, FINA launched its Masters program for athletes over 25, holding the first Masters Championships in Tokyo, which encompassed swimming, diving, and water polo to accommodate age-group participation.[13] This era also saw infrastructure advancements, including FINA's first permanent headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1986, supporting administrative growth amid rising global events.[1] By the 1990s, under Mustapha Larfaoui (Algeria, 1984–2000), FINA incorporated open water swimming into the World Championships program in 1991, standardizing long-distance events like 25 km races to address endurance aspects distinct from pool swimming.[1] The organization also debuted World Swimming Championships in 25-meter pools in 1993 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, expanding short-course formats to boost year-round competition and accessibility for national federations. These integrations solidified FINA's oversight of five primary disciplines, with events like the World Championships rotating hosts across continents—such as Perth (1998)—to reflect broadened geographic reach and participation from over 150 member federations by decade's end.[11] This period's developments prioritized empirical standardization of techniques and anti-doping measures, ensuring competitive integrity amid rapid internationalization.[14]Challenges and Reforms in the 2000s
The 2000s presented FINA with persistent governance challenges, including criticisms of its anti-doping enforcement under president Mustapha Larfaoui, who served from 1986 to 2009. High-profile athletes, such as Ian Thorpe, condemned FINA's testing regime as inadequate and overly reliant on in-competition checks, arguing it failed to deter systematic doping.[15] Larfaoui faced allegations of leaking Thorpe's confidential medical data in 2007, which exacerbated perceptions of opacity and conflicts of interest within the federation's leadership.[15] These issues coincided with FINA's alignment to the World Anti-Doping Agency's inaugural Code in 2003, which mandated standardized rules and out-of-competition testing, yet implementation gaps fueled ongoing skepticism about the organization's commitment to clean sport.[16] The most acute crisis arose from advanced swimsuit technologies, dubbed "technological doping" by detractors for providing buoyancy and drag reduction beyond traditional textile limits. Polyurethane-based full-body suits, exemplified by Speedo's LZR Racer introduced in 2008, enabled 108 long-course world records that year and over 140 by the close of the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, where nearly every event saw records fall.[17][18] FINA's initial hesitation drew sharp rebuke for allowing equipment to overshadow swimmer skill, prompting emergency reforms at its July 2009 Congress: suits were restricted to textile materials only, with men's coverage limited to torso, hips, and upper thighs (above knees), and women's to shoulders, torso, and upper legs (below knees and above shoulders).[19] The ban, effective January 1, 2010, passed by a near-unanimous vote of member federations and sought to recalibrate competition toward human physiology rather than innovation.[17] Leadership renewal marked a reformative shift, with Julio Maglione of Uruguay elected president in 2009 at the Rome Congress, ending Larfaoui's tenure amid calls for fresh oversight.[20] Maglione's administration promised enhanced transparency and adaptation to global pressures, though entrenched bureaucratic resistance lingered as a critique. These developments underscored FINA's navigation of ethical, technological, and administrative hurdles to preserve aquatics' competitive integrity.[19]Rebranding and Policy Shifts (2020s)
On 12 December 2022, FINA member federations voted to rebrand the organization as World Aquatics during an Extraordinary Congress in Melbourne, Australia, coinciding with the 2022 World Swimming Championships.[2] The change aimed to more comprehensively represent the federation's oversight of swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming, open water swimming, and high diving, under a vision of "a world united by water, for health, life and sport."[2] Over 70% of athlete consultations supported the rebranding, which included a new visual identity and logo rolled out at events in 2023, along with updated digital platforms and a website launch at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka.[2] Earlier, on 19 June 2022, FINA approved a new policy on eligibility for men's and women's competition categories with 71.5% support from member federations at an Extraordinary General Congress.[3] Transgender women (male-to-female) are ineligible for the women's category if they experienced male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after age 12; eligibility requires evidence of either complete androgen insensitivity or puberty suppression at or before that stage, with testosterone levels maintained below 2.5 nmol/L continuously, verified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.[4] The policy, developed by a working group including scientific, medical, and legal experts, cites physiological advantages from male puberty as persistent despite hormone therapy, drawing on analyses from endocrinologists and a 2022 joint position statement by sports medicine federations.[4] To enhance inclusivity while preserving fairness in sex-based categories, the policy framework directed the creation of an "open" category allowing competition regardless of biological sex or gender identity.[3] World Aquatics implemented this for 50m and 100m individual medley events open to all sex and gender identities at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.[21] Female-to-male transgender athletes remain eligible for men's categories without restriction.[4] Subsequent updates in the 2020s addressed Olympic qualification pathways, competition regulations across disciplines, and nationality transfer rules, with revisions approved in December 2024 for events including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.[22] These shifts emphasized evidence-based criteria for equity and global participation, amid ongoing debates on biological fairness in elite sports.[4]Organizational Structure
Governance Framework
The governance of World Aquatics is defined by its Constitution and By-laws, which establish a hierarchical structure centered on democratic representation from national member federations, executive management, and specialized oversight bodies to ensure compliance with international sports standards.[23] The framework emphasizes biennial decision-making by member delegates, balanced continental representation, and integrity mechanisms, reflecting reforms post-2022 rebranding from FINA to enhance transparency and athlete involvement.[24] In 2023, World Aquatics achieved an A2 rating in the ASOIF governance review, indicating strong practices in areas like ethical standards and risk management, though ongoing improvements address independence in auditing.[24] The General Congress constitutes the supreme authority, comprising delegates from all 209 member federations, with voting rights proportional to membership size and discipline participation.[25] It convenes every two years, typically alongside World Championships, to elect the Bureau, approve budgets, amend rules, and ratify strategic policies; decisions require a two-thirds majority for constitutional changes.[26] Between sessions, authority delegates to the Bureau, ensuring continuity in operations across six aquatic disciplines. The Bureau functions as the primary executive organ, comprising the President and 39 elected members with fixed continental quotas to promote global equity: five each from Africa, Americas, Asia, and Europe (no more than three per gender per continent), two from Oceania (one male, one female), plus 16 at-large positions distributed similarly (three Africa, four Americas and Asia, four Europe, one Oceania).[27] The Athletes Committee Chair serves ex officio, integrating competitor perspectives; terms last four years, renewable up to two additional times, with elections by secret ballot at Congress.[27] Bureau responsibilities include rule enforcement, event sanctioning, and policy implementation, meeting at least biannually under the President's chair.[25] Supporting structures include technical and specialized committees for discipline-specific rulemaking, an Athletes Committee elected quadrennially by competitors to advocate on welfare and selection, and the independent Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU), operational since January 2023, handling doping, harassment, and ethical violations via arbitration ties to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.[28] Day-to-day administration falls to the Executive Director-led office in Lausanne, Switzerland, executing directives while adhering to financial transparency mandates, such as audited annual reports submitted to Congress.[29] This framework prioritizes federation autonomy within unified standards, with by-laws updated as recently as June 2025 to refine election protocols and integrity codes.[30]Bureau Composition and Elections
The World Aquatics Bureau serves as the primary executive body, consisting of one President and 39 elected Bureau Members, totaling 40 members including the ex officio Chair of the Athletes' Committee.[27] The Bureau Members are divided into 22 continental representatives—five each from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe, plus two from Oceania—and 16 world-at-large representatives allocated as three from Africa, four each from the Americas, Asia, and Europe, and one from Oceania.[27] Gender quotas apply to ensure balance: no more than three members of the same gender among the five representatives from each major continent, one of each gender from Oceania for continental roles, and similar limits for world-at-large positions (e.g., no more than two of the same gender from Africa's three).[27] Bureau Members, excluding the President, serve four-year terms renewable up to twice, for a maximum of 12 years.[27] The President is elected separately by the General Congress and may pursue an initial eight-year term, renewable once in line with International Olympic Committee guidelines.[25] Elections for all positions occur every four years during the Ordinary General Congress, convened biennially but aligned with quadrennial cycles for Bureau renewal; delegates from the over 200 national member federations vote by secret ballot on slates or individual candidates, with continental representatives nominated by their respective continental associations.[27] [31] The process emphasizes global representation and gender equity, as evidenced by the 2025 election in Singapore, where the Bureau achieved 42% female membership with 16 women elected.[32] Among the continental representatives are five continental Vice Presidents—one per major continent—along with a Treasurer typically drawn from the Americas delegation.[27] The Athletes' Committee Chair joins ex officio to incorporate athlete input, elected separately by active competitors across disciplines.[27] This structure, outlined in the World Aquatics Constitution, prioritizes proportional continental input while limiting dominance by any single region or gender.[25]Historical Presidents and Leadership Transitions
The Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), established on July 19, 1908, in London by representatives from seven European nations, initially elected George Hearn of Great Britain as its first president, a position he held until 1924.[33] Early leadership remained predominantly European, reflecting the organization's origins in Olympic swimming governance, with presidents elected at periodic congresses to guide rule standardization and event expansion.[1] A notable transition occurred in 1972 when Harold "Hal" Henning of the United States became the first American president, serving until 1976 and playing a pivotal role in launching the inaugural World Aquatics Championships in Belgrade in 1973 to elevate the sport's global profile beyond Olympic cycles.[34] The presidency shifted to Mustapha Larfaoui of Algeria in 1988, elected during the Seoul Olympics Congress; as the first African and non-European to hold the office long-term, he served 21 years until 2009, the longest tenure in FINA's history, during which the organization integrated additional disciplines like synchronized swimming and water polo more formally and expanded membership.[35][36] In 2009, Julio Maglione of Uruguay succeeded Larfaoui, marking the first South American presidency and emphasizing development in emerging regions; his 12-year term ended with his decision not to seek re-election at age 84 amid calls for modernization.[33][37] On June 5, 2021, at the Doha Congress, Husain Al-Musallam of Kuwait, previously first vice-president since 2015, was elected unopposed as president, securing 302 votes from delegates of 183 national federations.[38] Al-Musallam was unanimously re-elected in July 2023 to an eight-year term, overseeing reforms including the organization's rebranding to World Aquatics in December 2022 to encompass all six disciplines more inclusively and relocate headquarters to Budapest, Hungary.[39][40]| President | Nationality | Term Years |
|---|---|---|
| George Hearn | Great Britain | 1908–1924 [33] |
| Hal Henning | United States | 1972–1976 [34] |
| Mustapha Larfaoui | Algeria | 1988–2009 [35] |
| Julio Maglione | Uruguay | 2009–2021 [33] |
| Husain Al-Musallam | Kuwait | 2021–present [38] |
Membership and Global Reach
National Federations and Continental Bodies
World Aquatics consists of 210 national member federations, spanning five continents, each tasked with overseeing aquatic sports domestically, including athlete training, national competitions, and qualification for international events.[1] These federations must comply with World Aquatics' constitution, technical rules, and integrity standards, with membership requiring annual dues and adherence to anti-doping protocols enforced by the Aquatics Integrity Unit.[41] National federations nominate athletes for world championships and elect delegates to the World Aquatics Congress, where decisions on rulemaking and governance occur every two years.[29] Continental organizations act as regional coordinators, bridging World Aquatics with national federations to drive development initiatives, host continental championships, and address local challenges such as infrastructure and coaching education.[42] They collaborate on World Aquatics' support programs, distributing funding for equipment, events, and athlete welfare, while appointing observers to Congress without voting rights.[41] The five recognized bodies are:| Continent | Organization |
|---|---|
| Africa | Africa Aquatics [43] |
| Americas | PanAm Aquatics [43] |
| Asia | Asia Aquatics [43] |
| Europe | European Aquatics [43] |
| Oceania | Oceania Aquatics [43] |
Membership Standards and Development Funding
World Aquatics maintains a single category of membership consisting of national federations, limited to one per country, tasked with governing aquatic sports within their jurisdiction. Admission requires an application to the Bureau accompanied by an undertaking to comply with the organization's constitution and rules; the Bureau decides on acceptance, with appeals possible to the General Congress or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). As of 2024, World Aquatics recognizes 210 such national member federations across five continents.[41][45] Member federations bear ongoing obligations to support World Aquatics' objectives, adhere to its constitution, by-laws, technical rules, and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, and submit their statutes along with any amendments for approval. They must convene general assemblies at least biennially, hold elections every four years, notify World Aquatics of outcomes, ensure operational independence from governmental or external interference, remit annual membership fees, and refrain from conduct that could discredit the organization. Affiliated clubs within federations are required to maintain at least 10 registered athletes, participate in national championships, and meet financial duties. Non-compliance, including autonomy breaches or significant rule violations, may result in Bureau-imposed suspension or expulsion, subject to CAS appeal.[41][30] To promote global growth, World Aquatics channels substantial resources into development funding, allocating $28.71 million USD in 2024—41.57% of its total expenses—for programs aiding national federations, athletes, and infrastructure. The core World Aquatics Support Programme, with an annual budget of approximately $4 million USD, disbursed nearly $4.5 million in 2024 to support 621 projects across member federations, including enhancements in competition organization, governance, equipment acquisition, and athlete training. Funding eligibility ties to governance assessments, providing a base of $25,000 USD per qualifying federation, plus up to $5,000 bonuses for score improvements, with a maximum of $30,000 USD; in 2024, 184 of 210 federations qualified, expanding to nearly all in 2025.[46][47][48] Complementary initiatives include the Scholarships Programme, offering financial and technical aid to one potential elite athlete per federation annually, benefiting 117 athletes from 70 nations in 2024, and the Olympic Aquatic Support Programme, which provides targeted funding to all members for grassroots aquatics promotion and water safety efforts. Continental organizations receive up to $100,000 USD under a parallel support framework to bolster regional development. These efforts prioritize empirical progress in participation and infrastructure, with 2024 reporting involvement of 22,912 coaches, 18,806 officials, and 1,674 events across 169 members.[49][50][51]Competitions and Tournaments
World Aquatics Championships
The World Aquatics Championships serve as the flagship multi-disciplinary event organized by World Aquatics, contested biennially since its inception, though recent editions from 2022 to 2025 were held annually to accommodate expanded programming and recovery from pandemic disruptions.[52] The competition draws over 2,500 athletes from more than 190 national federations, competing for medals across six core aquatic disciplines: swimming, artistic swimming, diving, high diving, open water swimming, and water polo.[53][54] Events typically span 2-3 weeks, with swimming as the central attraction, featuring individual and relay races in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and medley formats over distances from 50 meters to 1,500 meters, alongside mixed relays introduced in later editions.[1] The championships originated in 1973 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), where 686 competitors from 47 nations participated in the inaugural edition focused on swimming, diving, and water polo, marking the first global titles outside the Olympic Games for these sports.[52][55] Initially known as the FINA World Championships, the event expanded progressively: artistic swimming (previously synchronized swimming) was integrated early, open water swimming added in 1998 for long-distance races up to 25 kilometers, and high diving debuted in 2013 with platform heights of 27 meters for men and 20 meters for women.[56] By the 2000s, the championships had evolved into a comprehensive showcase, with water polo tournaments for men and women featuring 16-team formats and diving events covering springboard and platform categories from 1-meter to 10-meter heights.[57] Hosted in diverse global locations to promote the sport's reach, editions have included Perth (1991, 1998), Rome (1994, 2009), and Barcelona (2003, 2013), with venues selected via bidding processes emphasizing infrastructure and broadcasting potential.[55] The 2023 event in Fukuoka, Japan, featured 77 medal events, while the 2024 Doha edition in Qatar emphasized sustainability and regional development; the 2025 Singapore championships, concluding on August 3, saw three world records set in swimming alone across 77 events.[54][58] Future bids for 2029 and 2031 underscore a return to biennial scheduling, with emphasis on inclusivity for emerging nations through development funding.[53] The championships not only crown world champions but also serve as qualifiers for continental events and testing grounds for rule innovations, such as non-simultaneous touch rules in relays.[59]Discipline-Specific World Events
World Aquatics sanctions and organizes numerous discipline-specific world events, distinct from the multi-discipline World Aquatics Championships, to provide focused international competition, skill development, and qualification pathways for athletes in individual aquatic disciplines. These events include annual or quadrennial world cups, series, and junior championships, often featuring elite senior competitors or age-group participants in formats tailored to the sport's unique demands, such as short-course pools for swimming or variable-height platforms for high diving.[60][61] In swimming, the Swimming World Cup serves as the premier annual discipline-specific circuit, contested in 25-meter short-course pools across multiple legs worldwide, with athletes accumulating points toward overall rankings and a super final prize purse exceeding $1 million USD as of 2025. The series emphasizes sprint and middle-distance events, attracting over 300 swimmers per stop and fostering tactical racing in non-Olympic pool lengths. Junior counterparts, such as the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships, occur biennially for athletes under 18, featuring long-course events and held separately to nurture emerging talent.[62][60] Diving features the Diving World Series, an annual sequence of grand prix-style meets at international venues, where competitors earn points across platform and springboard events from 1-meter to 10-meter heights, culminating in a final with medal allocations based on cumulative performance. High diving, a niche variant, has its own World Cup series with drops from 27 meters for men and 21 meters for women, emphasizing precision and safety protocols in urban or coastal settings. Junior diving world championships are hosted biennially in dedicated locations, such as Rijeka, Croatia, for the 2026 edition, focusing on developmental categories.[63][64] Water polo's discipline-specific pinnacle is the Water Polo World Cup, contested quadrennially for men and women with eight-team fields, as seen in the 2025 men's edition in Podgorica, Montenegro, from December 2024 to April 2025, which doubles as an Olympic qualification mechanism. These tournaments prioritize tactical team play in 30-minute halves, distinct from the championships' integration. Youth events include U20 and U18 world championships, held annually or biennially to build national pipelines.[65][66] Artistic swimming maintains focus through youth and junior world championships, such as the 2025 World Aquatics Youth Artistic Swimming Championships for ages 13-15, emphasizing solo, duet, team, and acrobatic routines with technical and free components scored on execution and difficulty. Senior-level discipline events are limited, often aligning with series like the World Trophy, but prioritize innovation in choreography and endurance.[67] Open water swimming's World Cup series spans global locations with distances from 5 km to 25 km, incorporating individual and team relays in oceanic or lacustrine conditions, as in the 2025 stops concluding with overall series champions determined by points. These events test navigation, drafting, and environmental adaptation, separate from pool-based aquatics.[68]| Discipline | Key Event | Frequency | Format Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming | Swimming World Cup | Annual | Short-course series, points-based |
| Diving | Diving World Series | Annual | Multi-leg grand prix, height-specific |
| Water Polo | Water Polo World Cup | Quadrennial | 8-team knockout, Olympic qualifier |
| Artistic Swimming | Youth/Junior Championships | Biennial | Age-group routines, technical/free |
| Open Water | Open Water World Cup | Annual | Distance races, series rankings |
