With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics officially postponed as of this morning, world aquatics governing body FINA has issued a statement promising to determine the flexibility of 2021 World Championships dates to accommodate a rescheduled 2020 Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee confirmed this morning that the 2020 Olympics, scheduled for July, will not happen on schedule. There are no official timelines yet, but this morning’s statement said the Games would be rescheduled “to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021.”
That could, though, create a conflict with FINA’s 2021 World Championships, currently scheduled for July 16-August 1, 2021 in Fukuoka, Japan. The Olympics are to be hosted in Tokyo, on the east end of the island nation of Japan, while Fukuoka is on the far west end, more than 1000 km (and more than 670 miles) away.
FINA released a statement today, noting that it would “work closely” with the 2021 Worlds organizing committee, Japan’s swimming federation, and Japanese authorities to “determine flexibility around the dates of the competition, if necessary and in agreement with the IOC.”
The year 2021 could become a crowded one for the sport of swimming, with the Olympics, World Championships, European Championships, World University Games, and the latter half of the expanded ISL season all taking place in the same calendar year. If the Olympics and World Championships are too close together, we could see athletes trying to navigate a double-taper, or nations moving to an “A Team/B Team” system like many use in years with multiple international meets.
The full FINA release is below:
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, FINA would like to reiterate its concern for all those affected. FINA is well aware of the issues faced by aquatics athletes around the world, especially with regard to training and pool access.
Moreover, following today’s joint announcement by the IOC and Tokyo 2020 Organisers, concerning the postponement of the Olympic Games for 2021, FINA will now work closely with the host organising committee of the 2021 FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, with the Japan Swimming Federation and with the Japanese public authorities, in order to determine flexibility around the dates of the competition, if necessary and in agreement with the IOC.
FINA’s main goal is to ensure the success of its showcase event, while considering the importance of athlete wellbeing and maximising opportunities for aquatics stars to compete at the highest level.
FINA would like to express its continued and sincere gratitude to the IOC, and both the organisers of Tokyo 2020 and the Fukuoka 2021 FINA World Championships, for their very considerable efforts to bring the world together peacefully through sport.
I think IAAF already moved theirs to 2022. Swimming should follow and then we will have world class meets in 2021,2022,2023,2024,2025.
They can do Euros/Pan Pacs/Commonwealth in the winter. I feel like it’s a fair reward for everyone considering nothing is happening in 2020.
It’s no more possible to have Commonwealth Games in winter than it is to have the Summer Olympics in winter.
You could hold it in Australia.
Yeah it could be just shifted from one continent to another willy nilly.
Then you’re just totally shafting Birmingham, England who are hosting the CG in July 2022. Munich also hosts the Euro Championships a few weeks later.
In reality, won’t the 2021 Olympics be the World Championships of swimming next year?
Just cancel the 2021 WC….and they are in Japan as well…
If the Olympics can be moved, so can WC! #2022
Knowing Caeleb Dressel he would get out of the Olympic pool, warm down and then sprint to the WC pool and still have a WR in him
while traveling the 1000km to the other pool, he gets pull over by sponsor and media to do a victory lap…lol
Move it to 2022. Start having WCs on the even year between the olympics. This creates a more natural 2 year cycle of major competitions. Right now WCs get the short shrift because the year after the olympics many of the major competitors are burnt out or taking a break, and in the year before its treated as a tune up meet.
I like it in concept but then you only have Worlds once every quad rather than 2x per quad. That’s a major change.
There is precedent though. After being every two years (1973 and 1975), from 1978 through 1998 Worlds was held every 4 years (except for 1991 for whatever reason). Then in 2001 it switched to the current cycle.
What about 2020 World Cup events?
This is like me saying I’ll “determine the flexibility” of our marriage if my wife left me for Chris Hemsworth.
Know when you’re beat FINA.
If anything have the 3rd and 4th place swimmers at Trials go to WC
Sounds cool