Tickets for World Championships go on sale

By Sports Reporter/Doha

Swimming fans can rejoice as tickets go on sale for swimming’s season finale, the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), which will take place in Doha’s Hamad Aquatic Centre between December 3 and 7.

This year’s FINA World Swimming Championships is already proving to be a must-see event as more than 1,000 swimmers have registered their interest to compete – more than any other world championships in the past. The five days of thrilling competition will see 46 medal events with morning heats starting at 9:30am and the finals starting at 6pm. Tickets will be on sale at leading ticket retailer Virgin Megastores in Qatar and online from tickets.virginmegastore.me.

Category A tickets are priced 20 QR for the morning heats and 40 QR for the evening finals. Category B tickets are priced at 10 QR for the morning heats and 20 QR for the finals. Doors open at 8am each morning of the event allowing fans to settle in before the fast pace races get underway. 

Previous victors at the FINA World Swimming Championships include US Olympic gold medallist Ryan Lochte, who took home six gold medals at the last Championships in 2012. South African Olympic champion Chad Le Clos, and multiple world record-holder Katinka Hosszu of Hungary are among the top swimmers looking forward to a return to Doha.

In addition, Roland Schoeman (RSA), Daniel Gyurta (HUN), Mireia Belmonte (ESP), Marieke D’Cruz (AUS) and other key athletes from Germany, Italy, Russia, China, Japan and the Netherlands are expected to be present at the competition.

Speaking ahead of the competition, Qatar Swimming Association president and Doha 2014 CEO Khalil al-Jaber said, “This year’s FINA World Swimming Championships is a must-attend event for the community of Qatar. We’ve already seen world records broken at Hamad Aquatic Centre in the FINA Mastbank Swimming World Cup hosted here in August, so we know what kind of performances the athletes are capable of here in Doha.”

The buzz of the tournament is not just confined to the swimming pool. The FINA Market Street fun zone located just outside Hamad Aquatic Centre will ensure the ultimate family fun day out with interactive activities for all ages.

This year has been hailed as Qatar’s year of swimming. For the first time in FINA’s history, a city has hosted both a World Cup event and a World Championships event, showcasing the country’s growing commitment to swimming, and highlighting the importance of this event for world class swimmers. 

Ahead of the World Championships, Doha will host the 3rd FINA Aquatics Convention. The convention will run from November 29 – December 1 and will provide a platform for industry leaders and decision makers to facilitate and support sustainable growth of aquatic sports throughout the world. Taking place at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Doha, the conference includes the FINA Extraordinary Congress, a session to determine future innovations and rule changes in the sport, and the 2nd FINA Gold Swimming Coaches Clinic.

Doha is also showing its commitment to the future of swimming through a Youth Programme organised by Qatar Olympic Committee and FINA. The five-day event will see 350 elite young swimmers experience the FINA Swimming World Championships first hand, gaining exposure to major international events and familiarise themselves with competition week format.