While the vast majority of high-profile sporting events in 2024 have now drawn to a close, those going for glory in the water cannot indulge in the Christmas festivities just yet, as the World Aquatics Swimming Championships are just around the corner.
Formerly known as the World Short Course Championships, the biennial competition - which was first held in 1993 - welcomes the globe's most celebrated swimmers to race for glory in a 25m pool.
In contrast to the World Aquatics Championships, where diving, water polo, open water swimming, artistic swimming and high diving are also on the menu, the December competition is purely for the bread and butter of swimming, and the ever-dominant USA are bidding to top the medal table for the fifth time in a row.
Here, Sports Mole provides a comprehensive guide to the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships, including dates, streaming options and athletes to keep a close eye out for.
When and where is the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships?
This year's World Aquatics Swimming Championships will be held over six days from December 10 to December 15 at the Duna Arena in the Hungarian capital of Budapest.
Hungary is no stranger to holding high-profile swimming competitions, having previously hosted the 2017 and 2022 editions of the World Aquatics Championships.
How can I watch the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships?
Viewers in the UK cannot watch the World Aquatics Swimming Championships on terrestrial television, but the competition will be streamed in its entirety on the Eurovision Sport service.
A full list of TV and streaming options for fans across the world can be found here.
2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships schedule
All times UK
Tuesday, December 10
From 8am:
Women's 400m freestyle heats
Women's 100m backstroke heats
Women's 50m butterfly heats
Women's 100m individual medley heats
Women's 4x100m freestyle relay heats
Men's 1500m freestyle heats
Men's 100m backstroke heats
Men's 50m butterfly heats
Men's 200m individual medley heats
Men's 4x100m freestyle relays heats
From 4.30pm:
Women's 400m freestyle final
Women's 100m backstroke semi-finals
Women's 50m butterfly semi-finals
Women's 200m individual medley final
Women's 4x100m freestyle relay final
Men's 1500m freestyle final
Men's 100m backstroke semi-finals
Men's 50m butterfly semi-finals
Men's 200m individual medley final
Men's 4x100m freestyle relay final
Wednesday, December 11
From 8am:
Women's 100m freestyle heats
Women's 800m freestyle heats
Women's 100m breaststroke heats
Men's 100m freestyle heats
Men's 100m breaststroke heats
Mixed 4x50m medley relay heats
From 4.30pm:
Women's 100m freestyle semi-finals
Women's 800m freestyle final
Women's 100m backstroke semi-finals
Women's 100m breaststroke semi-finals
Women's 50m butterfly final
Men's 100m freestyle semi-finals
Men's 100m backstroke final
Men's 100m breaststroke semi-finals
Men's 50m butterfly final
Mixed 4x50m medley relay final
Thursday, December 12
From 8am:
Women's 50m backstroke heats
Women's 200m butterfly heats
Women's 100m individual medley heats
Women's 4x200m freestyle relay heats
Men's 400m freestyle heats
Men's 50m backstroke heats
Men's 200m butterfly heats
Men's 100m individual medley heats
From 4.30pm:
Women's 100m freestyle final
Women's 50m backstroke semi-finals
Women's 100m backstroke final
Women's 200m butterfly final
Women's 100m individual medley semi-finals
Women's 4x200m freestyle relay final
Men's 100m freestyle final
Men's 400m freestyle final
Men's 50m backstroke semi-finals
Men's 100m backstroke final
Men's 200m butterfly final
Men's 100m individual medley semi-finals
Friday, December 13
From 8am:
Women's 1500m freestyle heats
Women's 200m breaststroke heats
Women's 100m butterfly heats
Men's 200m breaststroke heats
Men's 100m butterfly heats
Men's 4x200m freestyle relay heats
Mixed 4x50 freestyle relay heats
From 4.30pm:
Women's 1500m freestyle final
Women's 50m backstroke final
Women's 200m breaststroke final
Women's 100m butterfly semi-finals
Women's 100m individual medley final
Men's 50m backstroke final
Men's 200m breaststroke final
Men's 100m butterfly semi-finals
Men's 100m individual medley final
Men's 4x200m freestyle relay final
Mixed 4x50 freestyle relay final
Saturday, December 14
From 8am:
Women's 50m freestyle heats
Women's 50m breaststroke heats
Women's 400m individual medley heats
Men's 50m freestyle heats
Men's 800m freestyle heats
Men's 50m breaststroke heats
Men's 400m individual medley heats
Mixed 4x100m medley relay heats
From 4.30pm:
Women's 50m freestyle semi-finals
Women's 50m breaststroke semi-finals
Women's 100m butterfly final
Women's 400m individual medley final
Men's 50m freestyle semi-finals
Men's 800m freestyle final
Men's 50m breaststroke semi-finals
Men's 100m butterfly final
Men's 400m individual medley final
Mixed 4x100 medley relay final
Sunday, December 15
From 8am:
Women's 200m freestyle heats
Women's 200m backstroke heats
Women's 4x100m medley relay heats
Men's 200m freestyle heats
Men's 200m backstroke heats
Men's 4x100m medley relay heats
From 4.30pm:
Women's 50m freestyle final
Women's 200m freestyle final
Women's 200m backstroke final
Women's 50m breaststroke final
Women's 4x100m medley relay final
Men's 50m freestyle final
Men's 200m freestyle final
Men's 200m backstroke final
Men's 50m breaststroke final
Men's 4x100m medley relay final
Athletes to watch at the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships
© Imago
Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of four-time Paris gold medallist Leon Marchand will be left disappointed, as the 22-year-old Frenchman will not be competing at this year's World Aquatics Swimming Championships.
However, 18-year-old Canadian protege Summer McIntosh - who won three Olympic titles of her own in the French capital this summer - will be present at the competition, as will the USA's Kate Douglass, who took home two golds and two silvers from Paris.
The 11-strong Great Britain contingent is headlined by Ben Proud, the runner-up in the 50m freestyle at the Paris 2024 Games and a former Short Course world champion in the event from the 2021 tournament.
Freya Anderson - a mixed medley gold medallist from Tokyo 2020 - is another established British name to keep an eye out for; the 23-year-old is a 13-time European champion (from both long and short course championships) but is still searching for her first senior world title.
What happened at the 2022 World Aquatics Swimming Championships?
© Imago
In its final year as the FINA World Swimming Championships, the 2022 competition - held in Melbourne, Australia - saw the USA customarily dominate and head back to the other side of the planet with an unrivalled 36 medals, 17 of them gold.
Hosts Australia placed second in the overall table with 26, while Italy achieved 16 podium placements - marginally better than Canada's 14 - but the Brits could only manage four medals, one silver and three bronzes.
Proud could not defend his 50m freestyle title from 2021, but he still managed GB's highest individual finish as he placed second behind Jordan Crooks of the Cayman Islands, while Tom Dean (200m freestyle), Adam Peaty (100m breaststroke) and Anna Hopkin (50m freestyle) won bronze in their respective events.
A total of 14 world records - 11 of which were relay-related - were also broken throughout the 2022 World Aquatics Swimming Championships, where the USA topped the medal table for a record-extending ninth time; not since Brazil finished first in 2014 have the Americans been knocked off their perch.
Ben Knapton
