Record-setting World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest caps an incredible year of aquatics

15 December 2024; BUDAPEST (HUN) – The World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) came to a spectacular close at the Duna Arena after six thrilling days of competition that saw a record 30 World Records fall.

The final races, the Men’s and Women’s 4x100m Medley Relays, delivered a fitting finale. In the women’s relay, Regan Smith of the United States set the tone with a record-breaking backstroke lead-off leg of 54.02. Her teammates Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh, and Kate Douglass carried the momentum, finishing with a World Record of 3:40.41.

In the men’s relay, a quartet of Neutral Athletes—Miron Lifintsev, Kirill Prigoda, Andrei Minakov, and Egor Kornev—followed suit, setting a World Record of 3:18.68.

The USA claimed the Best Team Award with an impressive medal haul of 18 gold, 13 silver, and 8 bronze. Canada ranked second with 4 golds, 5 silvers, and 6 bronzes, followed by Australia with 2 golds, 5 silvers, and 5 bronzes. Overall, 25 countries reached the medal podium, underscoring swimming’s global appeal and competitiveness.

Nine hundred eighty-five athletes from a record 195 countries competed in 45 medal events, showcasing incredible talent over the six days. Among the 30 World Records set, six came in relay events, highlighting the depth of teamwork and competition. The Championships also saw 13 World Junior Records, 46 Championship Records, and 63 Continental Records fall.

The rewriting of the record books started early. During the first-day prelims, Gretchen Walsh of the United States first stormed to an individual World Record of 24.02 in the Women’s 50m Butterfly heats. She ultimately recorded 11 World Records – nine individual and two in relays by Championships’ end.

In addition to America’s Douglas, Smith and Walsh, Summer McIntosh of Canada had outstanding Championships with three golds, a silver and a bronze.  The 18-year-old also set three World Records and five World Junior Records in Budapest.  

Noe Ponti stood out in the men’s field, winning golds in the 50m and 100m Butterfly and the 100m Individual Medley while setting three World Records.

Fittingly, Ponti and Walsh walked away with the Best Male and Best Female swimmer awards of these Championships.

In addition to medals and records, athletes were rewarded with a total prize money purse of US $2.875 million.

All World Records, including the relays, earned US $25,000 for each of their record-setting performances.

Athletes also earned $10,000 for winning a “Double Crown” by going undefeated in an event through the entire World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2024 season and these Championships.

Across the 2024 calendar year, 319 swimmers earned $7.1 million at World Aquatics events, the most in the organisation’s 116-year history.

Over 36 hours of live sports broadcast and six daily highlight programmes produced by host broadcaster Visual Europe Production were distributed in over 150 territories. World Aquatics also provided additional live digital coverage to ensure the event was available in every country.

World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam opened the final night of action from the pool by thanking the athletes, organisers and supporters that packed the stands in Budapest.

“We have never seen anything like this before—a World Aquatics Swimming Championships with so many World Records. Day after day, our athletes have set new standards, and it has been a privilege to watch them. I am incredibly proud of the swimmers. After such a demanding year, their ability to deliver so many exceptional performances is truly remarkable.

“I also want to thank the organisers of these World Championships. Your hard work has been a key factor in the athletes’ success,” added World Aquatics President Al-Musallam. “You delivered an outstanding venue that provided everything our swimmers needed to excel, and it’s clear the athletes love competing here.

“We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for their unwavering support. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey.

“Finally, thank you so much for being part of these World Championships. Thank you, Budapest.”

Hungarian Swimming Federation President and event co-chair Sandor Wladar noted the lasting impact of Hungary hosting the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) for the first time.

“We set out to create a championship that would provide a truly unique experience and lasting memories for everyone—whether attending in person or watching the broadcasts worldwide. We imagined, planned, and hoped swimmers, coaches, officials, and fans would embrace our vision.

This success is thanks to this incredible team—a perfect blend of experienced organisers, dedicated professionals, and passionate volunteers—as well as the unwavering support of our partners, with the Hungarian Government leading the way, added Wladar. “Together, we delivered an event that set the highest number of World Records achieved at a World Swimming Championships (25m), drew exceptional attendance, and generated an electrifying atmosphere. This is what people have come to expect from Budapest and the iconic Duna Arena.

“We are deeply grateful to World Aquatics for their trust and partnership. We simply did our best to live up to that trust and serve the sport we all love.”