Melbourne is set to add to its legacy as one of the world’s sporting capitals with one of swimming’s premier events to be hosted in the Victorian capital in December.
Swimming Australia and FINA, the international federation, in conjunction with the Victorian State Government, Visit Victoria, are proud to announce Melbourne as the new host city for the 16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) 2022.
It marks the first time the prestigious 25m event will be held in Australia, with the meet to be contested at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC).
Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, The Honourable Martin Pakula MP, welcomed the announcement.
“Hosting the FINA World Swimming Championships shows Melbourne is one of the world’s great sporting cities,” Minister Pakula said.
The six-day event will attract more than 1,000 athletes from over 180 countries around the world to Australia’s sporting epicentre.
It will be the first time Melbourne has hosted the World Short Course Championships, having previously hosted the FINA World Championships in 2007 and several FINA Swimming World Cup events.
Swimming Australia CEO, Eugénie Buckley, believes Melbourne will provide the perfect backdrop for an event of this stature.
“Melbourne is one of the great sporting and cultural epicentres in the world and we are excited to welcome the best athletes from across the globe to the Victorian capital for this event – particularly at a state-of-the-art facility like MSAC,” Buckley said.
“Our country has a proud history of hosting world leading events and I have no doubt our swimming community, and the broader public will embrace this event with the passion and energy synonymous with Australian sporting fans.”
“Bringing this event to our shores would not have been possible without the tremendous support of the Victorian State Government and Visit Victoria, as well as the innovative approach of the FINA President and his Executive, and on behalf of Swimming Australia let me express our sincere excitement for the opportunity this presents.”
FINA President Husain Al-Musallam extended his thanks to the City of Melbourne for its enthusiasm to host this prestigious meet.
“Australia has a great swimming tradition and we’re looking forward to coming back to Melbourne,” President Al-Musallam said.
“I am sure this will be another highly successful FINA event that provides the world’s best short course swimmers with the environment to perform at their very best.”
The 2022 FINA World Short Course Championships will run from December 13-18.
