World Aquatics announced the dates for the 2024 Short Course World Championships on Wednesday, with the event slated to be hosted in Budapest in just over one year’s time.
The 2024 Short Course Worlds will run from December 10-15, 2024 inside the Duna Arena, the same facility that played host to the 2017 and 2022 Long Course World Championships.
The event was awarded to Budapest back in July 2017 during the World Aquatics (then FINA) General Congress during the 2017 World Championships.
It marks the first time Budapest has hosted the Short Course World Championships, with the most recent edition running last December in Melbourne, Australia.
The event will follow up on the three-stop World Cup series in the fall of 2024, which was recently announced to be running from October 18-November 2 across Asian cities Shanghai, Incheon and Singapore.
“Budapest has always delivered top-tier aquatics events, and it is only fitting that we return next December to conclude what promises to be an extraordinary year in swimming,” said World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Budapest, sharing our passion for aquatics with an audience that fills Duna Arena to witness our stars in action. Athletes, teams and fans have already expressed their enthusiasm for today’s announcement.”
Hungarian native Hubert Kos, the reigning LC world champion in the men’s 200 back who’s currently in the midst of his sophomore year at Arizona State in the NCAA, expressed his excitement for competing in front of his home crowd after getting that initial experience last June.
“Racing in front of thousands of fans in the Duna Arena in Budapest is one the most treasured memories in my career thus far,” Kos said, according to World Aquatics. “However, at the 2022 World Championships I was still unable to offer anything special for the Hungarian fans. A year later this changed in Japan as I was able to attain a childhood dream of becoming a world champion.
“This is why I’m hoping to do a lot better next December, during the short course World Championships, which are once again in my favorite pool, the Duna Arena.”
Kos also said he watched the 2017 World Championships when he was 14 years old and how it inspired him to pursue his current path.
“Back in 2017 as a young kid, still nothing but a teammate to the great generation of Hungarian champions, I saw what the roars of thousands in the crowd meant to them,” he said.
“The 2017 World Championships is by far the greatest swimming event that has ever taken place, and as I watched my idols swim, I said to myself that I would become like them one day. This is why I want to live through that experience, and all the joyful moments that the likes of Laszlo Cseh and the others experienced. Of course, my main focus is on the Olympics right now, but as I’m racing a lot in the NCAA Collegiate program at Arizona State, I can’t help but feel like I will also be well prepared for the Budapest Worlds next December.”
Realllllly hoping Gretchen Walsh is on the roster and medals in multiple events
“The 2017 World Championships is by far the greatest swimming event that has ever taken place”
ummmm well…. I’m not sure about that but I guess a 14yo may have thought that at the time…
For a swim-loving Hungarian kid the first World Championships held in Hungary was the biggest deal. I would know. We had quite a strong team back then too.
Yeah I mean I think both of those statements are probably true haha. In my mind the 1990s Chicago Bulls are the greatest dynasty ever, but that’s because I was 11 years old living in the suburbs of Chicago at the time.
ALSO BECAUSE IT’S TRUE.
To be fair if you were there you may have heard the closing speeches during which, if I recall correctly, the FINA President declared Budapest to have been the greatest Swimming World Championships ever. I’ve been to a few, as has Hubi and, even if somewhat biased, Budapest 2017 was special. I’m pretty sure Hubi is not including the Olympics in his assessment, that’s a different level and hopefully also comes to Budapest. Long overdue.
We need more world class events in Toronto!
Need to wait till the Middle East, China and Budapest lose interest 🙂