Whether you enjoy the speed of swimming, the elegance of diving, the power of water polo, or the synchrony of artistic swimming, there will be a host of events to entertain you in 2022. After 2 years of cancellations and postponements, the return of many of the biggest contests in the world has created a bumper schedule of water-based competition.
From 16 to 18 June, the World Para Swimming Championships will take place at the Penteada Olympic Swimming Complex, a venue nestled on the stunning Portuguese island of Madeira. The Championships were last held in 2019, when London welcomed a record 637 athletes from 77 nations. This will be the biggest Para sports event ever hosted in Portugal, and although many of the free tickets have now been claimed, spaces are still available for fans hoping to cheer on their favourite athletes in the pool.
Hot on the heels of the Para Championships are the FINA World Aquatics Championships, scheduled for 17 June to 3 July. Held since 1973, this huge festival of aquatic sports features thousands of athletes competing across 5 disciplines: swimming, open water swimming, artistic swimming, diving, and water polo. Almost all events will take place in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, with some early round water polo matches hosted in the cities of Szeged, Debrecen, and Sopron. Tickets are on sale for all disciplines, with prices starting at HUF Ft 1,000 (USD $3) for diving fans and rising to HUF Ft 24,000 (USD $64) for Premium seats at the water polo finals.
Swimmers are used to making the most of their chances to breathe, but they won’t get many in a packed summer schedule. Just a few weeks after the World Aquatic Championships come to an end, the US Swimming National Championships will bring the finest American swimmers to Irvine, California from 26-30 July for the country’s flagship annual meet. Tickets are available for each day of the event, with prelim sessions priced at USD $13, or you can pick up an all-session pass for the whole event for $92.
Moving from the Golden State to the Eternal City, the European Aquatics Championships are set for 11-21 August in Rome. The motto of this year’s contest is “finché c’è nuoto c’è vita,” or “while there is swimming, there is life.” Events will take place across the Italian capital in the categories of swimming, artistic swimming, open water swimming, and diving. Tickets are not yet on sale, but save the dates to see Europe’s best aquatic athletes compete for continental glory.
Overlapping with the end of the European Championships is Duel in the Pool, a battle between 2 of the best swimming nations in the world: the US and Australia. Planned for 19-21 August in Sydney, this year’s 8th edition is the first after a 7-year hiatus. The Americans have won every duel so far, so the Australian team will have a point to prove in their home waters.
Rounding out a year overflowing with aquatic competition, the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) will test the best international swimmers from 13-18 December. Originally set to be hosted in Russia, the Short Course Worlds have now been moved to Melbourne, Australia.
Whether you’re a new fan dipping your toes in the water or an old-hand diving in head-first, with so many incredible events in 2022, there’s a ticket out there with your name on it!