1,000 swimmers set to take part in FINA short course World Swimming Championships in Melbourne

Organisers are counting down to the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) being held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) in just over four weeks’ time.

Being held in Australia for the first time the prestigious 25m event will be held in Australia, the six-day event is expected to attract more than 1000 athletes from over 180 countries around the world.

Commenting on the significance of hosting the event, Swimming Australia Chief Executive, Eugénie Buckley stated “this is the first international FINA meet to be held in Australia since 2007 and we did not want to miss the opportunity to highlight both our culture, and our climate, which we know to be the envy of many around the world.

“A world class hybrid indoor/outdoor venue like MSAC enables us to truly embrace the remarkable Melbourne Summer backdrop as part of the event, so it’s little surprise leading international athletes like Maggie MacNeil, Kylie Masse, Adam Peaty and new World Record holder David Popovici have already signalled their intention to be here in December.

“This city has such a proud history of setting the benchmark for international sporting events and with a world class Dolphins team set to face some of the biggest names in international swimming on home soil, I’d urge our fans to pack the stands for Summer’s ultimate showdown.”

The logo for the event has been created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artist Riki Salam to represent the ripple effect of 180 countries coming together to swim at a meeting place in Melbourne.

The logo signifies the importance of water for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their cultures for over 65,000 years.

Essential for survival - water, on one of the driest continents is a highly prized commodity. Water signifies the formation of country since time immemorial. It’s a place of gathering for celebration, ceremony, birthing rights, initiation, hunting and collecting of foods and medicines. Knowledge was also traded from up and downstream, new technologies made life easier and opened up a vast and exciting world.