By Dipti Nair

The World Aquatics Championship is an international sporting event featuring six aquatic disciplines. The event was first organized in 1973 to promote and develop water sports worldwide. This is the first time the championship will be taking place in Qatar. This is a very important event for the athletes as the World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024 will represent the last chance to qualify to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games for many athletes around the world.

The Competition

2600 athletes from 190 countries will participate in 75 medal events across the 6 disciplines of swimming, diving, high-diving, open water swimming, artistic swimming and water polo.

Dates:

February 2 to 18, 2024

Venues:

• Aspire Dome
• Hamad Aquatic Centre
• Old Doha Port

Activities:

Opening Ceremony

Date: February 4, 2024

Location: Aspire Dome

Timings: 5.45pm onwards

Access: Tickets at Q-Tickets from QAR 120

The opening ceremony of the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 will feature an array of captivating performances for fans and guests to enjoy ahead of competitions. Venue ticket will be required to attend the opening ceremony.

Artistic Swimming

Dates: February 2 to 10, 2024

Location: Aspire Dome

Access: Tickets at Q-Tickets – from QAR 20

The Artistic Swimming is a kind of synchronized swimming with routines that are set and choreographed to music. Athletes show their skills by combining techniques and matching their moves with the music. At the competitive level, the aquatic event demands a diverse set of finely honed athletic skills. The essence and beauty of the sport is captured in routines, and artistic expressions performed in water to music. This is a historic year for artistic swimming as for the first time in 40 years, since the sport debuted, male athletes will be permitted to compete at the Olympic Games in Paris. Giorgio Minisini aims for an Olympic spot in Doha, potentially becoming the sole European male in this event.

Diving

Date: February 2 to 10, 2024

Location: Hamad Aquatic Centre

Access: Tickets at Q-Tickets– from QAR 35

Athletes participate in springboard, platform, team, and synchronized diving events, where their performances are judged on accuracy, mid-air movements, and water entry. It's a quick process, taking less than two seconds from jump to splash, but the skills displayed in that short time decide their scores.

Watch out for Wang Zongyuan, a history-maker in the Chinese men's diving team, being a four-time World Champion and Olympic synchro champion at the World Aquatics Championships. Britain’s Tom Daley will also be returning to the diving well in Doha and you can see the Olympic and world gold medalist aiming to secure his ticket to a fifth Olympic Games.

High Diving

Date: February 13 to 15, 2024

Location: Old Doha Port

Access: Tickets at Q-Tickets– from QAR 35

High diving made its debut at the World Aquatics Championships in 2013. This sport, characterized by power, balance, and aerial awareness, sees high divers reaching speeds of almost 90 kph during their dives. Men dive from the 27m tower, while women dive from 20m. The winner is determined by the athlete with the highest cumulative score from four dives. High diving adds an exhilarating dimension to the championships, attracting athletes who demonstrate remarkable feats of athleticism and grace amidst the challenging heights.

Keep an eye for top high divers Colombia’s Orlando Duque, Great Britain’s Gary Hunt, and Australia’s Rhiannan Iffland.

Water Polo

Date: February 4 to 17, 2024

Location: Aspire Dome

Access: Tickets at Q-Tickets– from QAR 20

Enjoy the thrill of watching someone score a goal in an international sporting tournament? Dive into the aquatic version with water polo. Two teams, each with seven players (including a goalkeeper), battle in a pool to score goals and outdo the opponent. Dubbed "water martial arts" for its intense nature, this sport promises thrilling goals and dynamic player movements both above and below the water. Catch the Water Polo competitions at the Aspire Dome for a splash of high-energy aquatic action.

In Doha, water polo teams have one last shot to qualify for the Olympics, where there are still four spots for men's teams and two for women's teams up for grabs. Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and Montenegro are trying to qualify for Paris in men's water polo. Italy and Hungary are considered top contenders among the men, while Canada is a strong favorite in the women's competition.

Swimming

Date: February 11 to 17, 2024

Location: Aspire Dome

Access: Tickets at Q-Tickets – from QAR 50

The swimming competitions are considered by many the flagship event at every edition of the World Aquatics Championships, with men and women competing across 46 medal events. Emerging elites to World Record-holding swimmers compete in various distance events across four strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. There are also individual medleys – an event where athletes swim all four swimming styles in a set order – and relays.

Doha welcomes back Adam Peaty to the World Championships after his last appearance in Gwangju in 2019. The eight-time world champion holds the 100m breaststroke world record at 56.88 seconds, the only man to achieve this feat.

Open Water Swimming

Date: February 3, 4, 7, 8, 2024

Location: Old Doha Port

Access: Tickets – Free

Open water swimming competitions differ from pool events, as they cover long distances in natural settings like oceans, rivers, and lakes. The water marathons will be taking place at the Doha Port for everyone to watch for free. Distances vary from 5km to 10km in individual races, including the Mixed 4x1500m Relay. Open water swimming demands expertise, experience, and technique due to the challenges of natural conditions.

Watch out for past and present Olympic and world champions Dutch Sharon van Rouwendaal, Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri and German Florian Wellbrock in action at the Old Doha Port.

Aqua Market

Dates: February 2 - 18, 2024

Location: Aspire Dome

Timings:

Weekdays: 9 am to 10 pm

Weekends: 2 pm to 10 pm

Access: Tickets at Q-Tickets– QAR 10

The Aqua Market offers a variety of activities and shows suitable for fans of all ages. Explore the cultural zone, grab a bite in the food court, shop for gifts, let your kids enjoy the play area, and enjoy different entertaining activities.

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