FINA World Swimming Championships Postponed To July 2023 Due To COVID-19

International Swimming Federation (FINA)

JAKARTA – The world swimming championship, which was supposed to take place this year, has officially been postponed. The current state of the COVID-19 pandemic is a consideration for this decision.

The event should have been held on May 13-29 in Fukuoka, Japan. However, it had to be rescheduled for July 14-30 next year.

"Considering the current pandemic situation and health protocols in Japan, FINA and the Fukuoka 2022 Organizing Committee have agreed to postpone the FINA world swimming championships," said FINA President Husain Al-Musallam as quoted by Reuters from Reuters.

This is the second time the event has had to be postponed. This championship was supposed to have been held in 2021, but was postponed to give Japan the opportunity to host the Tokyo Olympics.

This decision has an impact on the 20th FINA World Swimming Championships in November 2023 in Doha, Qatar. The event had to shift the schedule to January of the following year.

"This decision was taken based on common interests. FINA will prioritize the safety of the competition participants and make decisions as early as possible based on the existing situation," said Al-Musallam.

FINA will continue to actively communicate with athletes and coaches regarding the impact of the Omicron COVID-19 variant on the international aquatic competition calendar.

The swimming parent will soon announce an updated 2022 international aquatic calendar in the near future. In addition, further information about the 20th FINA World Championships in Doha, Qatar, will also follow as soon as possible.