Artistic swimming takes center stage at the 22nd World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Starting tomorrow, athletes from 50 nations will dive into the action across 11 events. Here’s your quick guide to get up to speed before the competition begin.
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When are the 2025 World Championships?
The artistic swimming portion of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships will commence in Singapore on Friday, July 18 and continue through July 25.
The full schedule is below, while our meet central with everything you need is available here.
| Friday, July 18 | |
| 10:00 am | Technical Solo (W) Preliminary |
| 2:00 pm | Technical Duet Preliminary |
| Saturday, July 19 | |
| 10:00 am | Free Team Preliminary |
| 2:00 pm | Technical Solo (M) Final |
| 6:30 pm | Technical Solo (W) Final |
| Sunday, July 20 | |
| 10:00 am | Free Solo (W) Preliminary |
| 6:30 pm | Free Team Final |
| Monday, July 21 | |
| 10:00 am | Technical Team Preliminary |
| 2:00 pm | Free Solo (M) Final |
| 6:30 pm | Technical Duet Final |
| Tuesday, July 22 | |
| 10:00 am | Free Solo (W) Final |
| 6:30 pm | Technical Team Final |
| Wednesday, July 23 | |
| 10:00 am | Free Duet Preliminary |
| 7:30 pm | Technical Mixed Duet Final |
| Thursday, July 24 | |
| 10:00 am | Acrobatic Team Preliminary |
| 7:30 pm | Free Duet Final |
| Friday, July 25 | |
| 10:00 am | Free Mixed Duet Final |
| 7:30 pm | Acrobatic Team Final |
All times local.
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Where can I watch?
Broadcasting varies by country. See this post from World Aquatics for the full list of where to watch the competition live.
Those in Europe can also watch for free on Eurovision Sport.
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What events will there be in Singapore?
11 artistic swimming events will be contested at these World Championships: women’s technical solo, women’s free solo, men’s technical solo, men’s free solo, technical duet, free duet, technical mixed duet, free mixed duet, technical team, free team and acrobatic team.
All are separate medal events, and nations are free to choose what they enter. For example, a soloist competing in the technical routine is not required to also swim the free routine.
However, unlike in the World Cup circuit, countries are only allowed to enter one routine per event.
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What’s the format of the competition?
Except for the men’s solos and mixed duets, all events will have a preliminary and final competition, with each taking place on different days.
The top 12 routines from the preliminary competition of each event will advance to finals. Although the preliminary rankings determine the starting order for the final, scores do not carry over.
Beginning on Saturday, July 19, medals will be awarded after each final events.
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How old must you be to compete at the World Championships?
Artistic swimmers must be 15 years old, or turn 15 during the year, to be eligible to participate in the World Championships.
The youngest athlete to compete in Singapore is 14-year-old Tori Buitendag of South Africa, who turns 15 on December 26. The oldest is 31-year-old and two-time Olympian Joana Jimenez of Mexico, competing in her ninth World Championships.
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Who are the defending champions?
The People’s Republic of China is the defending champion in seven events: men’s technical solo, technical duet, free duet, free mixed duet, technical team, free team and acrobatic team.
Nargiza Bolatova and Eduard Kim of Kazakhstan are the reigning World Champions in the technical mixed duet and will aim to defend their title in Singapore.
Evangelia Platanioti of Greece is the reigning champion in the women’s technical solo, Jacqueline Simoneau of Canada in the women’s free solo and Giorgio Minisini of Italy in the men’s free solo. However, none of them are competing in Singapore. Their countries will nonetheless be represented in those events.
Who are the favorites in Singapore? Read our full length preview here.
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Will there be mixed events?
Yes, there are five mixed events: both technical and free mixed duets, as well as all three team routines.
Nine nations will feature mixed teams. Thailand and Israel are the only nations to enter all team events with at least one male artistic swimmer. Spain and Greece follow with two team routines, while Brazil, Chile, Germany, Kazakhstan and Mexico will feature at least one male athlete in one team routine.
Male artistic swimmers will also get the opportunity to shine in the men’s solo events, which were added to the programme in 2023.
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Have the rules changed since last year?
Each routine continues to have a Coach Card, which tells the Difficulty Technical Controllers what to expect in terms of hybrids and acrobatics. If any athlete in the routine fails to complete the declared difficulty (DD), the corresponding element will be given a basemark, which can significantly reduce the overall routine score.
However, DD is not quite as all-or-nothing as it once was. In this year’s rules update, the artistic impression score has been given a heavier weight, making it another important factor in the final score.
The requirements for each routine have also been modified, and the mixed duet routines went through the most drastic overhaul. For a more in-depth look at the most recent updates to the difficulty system, see here.
Stay tuned throughout the following week for full coverage, results, and recaps, right here on Inside Synchro. All the info you need to follow the competition is available here.
ARTICLE BY MARI FLORES
Cover photo: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia
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