World Aquatics facts for kids
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| Sport |
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|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | International |
| Abbreviation | AQUA (formerly FINA) |
| Founded | 19 July 1908 in London, United Kingdom |
| Affiliation | Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) |
| Headquarters | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| President | Husain Al-Musallam |
| Replaced | International Swimming Federation (FINA) |
| Official website | |
World Aquatics is a very important organization for water sports around the world. It used to be called FINA, which stood for the International Swimming Federation. This group works with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to manage big international competitions in many water sports.
World Aquatics is one of many international groups that organize sports for the Olympics and the global community. Its main office is currently in Lausanne, Switzerland, but it is moving to Budapest, Hungary.
The organization was first created as FINA in 1908. It officially changed its name to World Aquatics in January 2023.
World Aquatics currently looks after six main water sports:
- Swimming
- Diving
- High diving
- Artistic swimming
- Water polo
- Open water swimming
It also organizes competitions for older athletes, called Masters competitions. These are for people aged 18 and older. The World Aquatics Masters Championships are for competitors aged 25 and older.
Contents
The Story of World Aquatics
World Aquatics started as FINA on July 19, 1908. This happened in London, England, right after the 1908 Summer Olympics. Eight countries helped create FINA: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, and Sweden.
In 1973, the very first World Aquatics Championships took place in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Athletes competed in swimming, water polo, diving, and synchronized swimming.
The first permanent FINA office opened in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1986.
In 1991, open water swimming became a new part of the World Aquatics Championships.
The first World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25 m) happened in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, in 1993. This event uses a shorter pool.
In 2013, high diving was added to the World Aquatics Championships.
A big change happened in 2015. For the first time, the World Aquatics Championships and the World Aquatics Masters Championships were held together. This took place in Kazan, Russia.
World Aquatics celebrated 110 years in 2018 by opening a new main office in Lausanne.
On December 12, 2022, during a special meeting in Melbourne, Australia, the organization voted to change its name to World Aquatics.
In July 2023, the World Aquatics Congress decided to move its main office to Budapest, Hungary. Budapest has hosted many championships before. An interim office in Budapest opened in November 2024. The full move is planned to be completed by 2027.
Over the years, more and more countries have joined World Aquatics. In 1908, there were 8 member countries. By 2023, there were 208!
Member Countries
World Aquatics has many member countries from all over the globe. In June 2017, Bhutan became the 208th member. Then, in November 2017, Anguilla joined as the 209th member. As of 2025, São Tomé and Príncipe became the 210th member country.
World Aquatics also allows athletes who are not part of a specific country's team to compete. They can join under the "Athlete Refugee Team" banner.
Member countries are grouped into five continental associations:
- Africa (53 members): Africa Aquatics
- Americas (45 members): PanAm Aquatics
- Asia (45 members): Asia Aquatics
- Europe (52 members): European Aquatics
- Oceania (15 members): Oceania Aquatics
These numbers show how many World Aquatics members are in each area.
How World Aquatics Works
World Aquatics has a clear structure to manage all its activities. Here are the main groups that help run the organization:
- 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 decision-making body. It can decide on any matter for World Aquatics. A Congress meeting happens every two years, usually during the World Championships. Special meetings can also be called if needed. Each member country can send up to two delegates to vote. Athletes also have a say, with 20 elected members from the Athletes Committee having one vote each.
The World Aquatics Bureau includes the President and 39 other members.
- The President is chosen by the Congress.
- Continental Representatives are elected from different continents. There are 22 of these members, making sure all parts of the world are represented.
- World-at-Large Bureau Members are 16 additional members also elected by the Congress.
- The head of the Athletes Committee is also a member of the Bureau.
Many other committees help with specific sports, like open water swimming, or with important topics like fair play rules.
World Aquatics has been planning to move its headquarters from Lausanne, Switzerland, to Budapest, Hungary. The Congress approved this move in July 2023, and an interim office in Budapest opened in November 2024. The full transfer is expected by 2027.
Leaders of World Aquatics
Here are the current leaders of World Aquatics:
| Office | 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 |
Past Presidents
Each president serves for four years. Their term starts and ends in the year after the Summer Olympics.
| FINA/World Aquatics presidents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Country | Term |
| George Hearn |  Great Britain |
1908–1924 |
| Erik Bergvall |  Sweden |
1924–1928 |
| Émile-Georges Drigny |  France |
1928–1932 |
| Walther Binner |  Germany |
1932–1936 |
| Harold Fern | Great Britain |
1936–1948 |
| René de Raeve |  Belgium |
1948–1952 |
| M.L. Negri |  Argentina |
1952–1956 |
| Jan de Vries |  Netherlands |
1956–1960 |
| Max Ritter | West Germany |
1960–1964 |
| William Berge Phillips |  Australia |
1964–1968 |
| Javier Ostos Mora |  Mexico |
1968–1972 |
| Harold Henning |  United States |
1972–1976 |
| Javier Ostos Mora (2nd term) | Mexico |
1976–1980 |
| Ante Lambaša |  Yugoslavia |
1980–1984 |
| Robert Helmick | United States |
1984–1988 |
| Mustapha Larfaoui |  Algeria |
1988–2009 |
| Julio Maglione |  Uruguay |
2009–2021 |
| Husain Al-Musallam |  Kuwait |
2021–present |
Exciting Tournaments
World Aquatics Championships
The biggest event organized by World Aquatics is the World Aquatics Championships. This huge competition happens every two years, usually in odd-numbered years. All six water sports are part of these championships. Swimming races take place in a 50-meter pool.
The World Open Water Swimming Championships are also part of this big event.
The World Masters Championships are for athletes aged 25 and older (or 30+ for water polo). These championships have been held alongside the main World Aquatics Championships since 2015.
Due to some changes and challenges, the championships were held every year from 2022 to 2025. They will return to being held every two years starting from 2025 onwards.
Other Competitions
World Aquatics also organizes many other exciting tournaments and series for individual sports. There are even special competitions for younger athletes.
World Tournaments for Each Sport
- Swimming: The World Swimming Championships (25 m), also known as "Short Course Worlds," happen every two years in even-numbered years. These use a 25-meter pool.
- Water polo: There are Men's and Women's Water Polo World Cups.
- Diving: The Diving World Cup happens every two years.
- High diving: The High Diving World Cup takes place every year.
World Series for Each Sport
- Swimming: The Swimming World Cup is an annual event. It usually uses a 25-meter pool, but sometimes a 50-meter pool in years before the Olympics.
- Diving: The Diving World Series happens every year.
- Artistic swimming: The Artistic Swimming World Cup is held annually.
- Open water swimming: The Marathon Swim World Series is an annual event.
Junior Championships
World Aquatics also hosts championships for younger athletes. The age limits vary by sport and gender:
- Swimming: World Junior Swimming Championships (every two years)
- Water polo: Junior, Youth, and Cadet Water Polo World Championships (every two years)
- Diving: World Junior Diving Championships (every two years)
- Artistic swimming: World Junior Artistic Swimming Championships (every two years)
- Open water swimming: World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships (every two years)
Sport Name Changes
In 2017, FINA officially changed the name of "synchronized swimming" to Artistic Swimming. This change happened because the sport now judges not just how well swimmers move together, but also their choreography and artistic expression.
Rules and Fair Play
World Aquatics works to ensure fair play and safety for all athletes. Sometimes, rules are put in place to address various situations. For a period, athletes from Russia and Belarus competed as neutral athletes in some events. This meant they did not use their national flags or anthems. However, as of April, 2026, World Aquatics has allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete with their flags and anthems again. Their membership in the organization has also been fully restored.
World Aquatics also has rules to keep sports fair. Sometimes, athletes who have retired might still face consequences if they broke rules about fair competition during their active careers.
See also
In Spanish: World Aquatics para niños
- History of competitive swimwear
- World Aquatics Athletes of the Year
- World Aquatics Day
- International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF)
- List of swimming competitions
- List of international sport federations
- Major achievements in swimming by nation
