World Aquatics Championships: From Countries to Refugee Athletes, Here Is All About the Participation Records From This And Previous Years

The 21st edition of the World Aquatics Championships has finally rolled in and is serving thrill full-fledged. Swimmers, amateur or professional, have girded to defy norms and make their marks in the Qatari capital. Having started on February 2, the event will conclude on February 18 with a long list of athletes eyeing the Olympics. Not only swimming, but five other water sports will look to qualify athletes for the marquee event.

Originally scheduled for November 2023, the postponement followed on grounds of the 20th edition rescheduling. First time in history, the Aquatics WC is being held in the Middle East. But numerically, is this edition ahead of the last year’s?

World Aquatics Championships numeric comparison

World Aquatics X post reads, “RECORD number of competing athletes and countries at the World Aquatics Championships. 201 National Federations in addition to the World Aquatics Refugee Team came together in Doha for an amazing event #AQUADoha2024“. Rounding off to 2316, whether the total number surpassed the 2023’s or not, let’s have a look. In Swimming, a total of 436 women and 544 men, in Water Polo, 235 women and 238 men and diving, 133 women and 166 men. Further, in Artistic Swimming, 299 men and 19 women, in Open Water Swimming, 91 women and 107 men, and in High Diving, 20 women and 28 men. Since 24 athletes are common, the exact total stands at 2292. 

But the 2023 number is sure to leave fans shocked since the total number of athletes stood at 2392. But the total number of competing national FIs stands at 194. In addition to that, there was the World Aquatics Refugee Team as well. In the most popular category, swimming, 503 women and 617 men athletes participated, which was a clear win for 2023. Even in the rest of the categories, 2023 outdid by a small margin. Let’s have a look at 2019 and 2022.

Where do 2019 and 2022 numbers stand?

185 nations participated in the 2022 edition as the Russian and Belarusian were struck out by FINA in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The total number of athletes rounded off to 2034. 2020 and 2021 didn’t host the World Aquatics Championships because of COVID-19 restrictions and travel issues. In 2019, held in Gwangju, the World Aquatics Championships saw 192 nations take part.

READ MORE: Doha World Aquatics Championship: Giving Team USA a Run for Their Money, Two Chinese Athletes Clinch Yet Another Gold

Though there have been ups and downs over the years in numbers, the Doha leg has a noble motive. The World Aquatics Championships ambassadors have introduced question-and-answer sessions and some coaching set-ups to inspire the young crowd to show interest in aquatic sports. With the Paris Olympics nearing, it’s a matter of 5 months for the real game to begin.

Watch this story: America’s Swimming Favorite Caeleb Dressel Embarks on a New Journey With a Hilarious 8-Word Joke