Over two weeks, more than 2,600 athletes from 201 countries showcased world-record performances at the World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024, with standout achievements including Pan Zhanle’s record-breaking swim and Sarah Sjostrom’s golden double

The World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024 ended on Sunday following just over two weeks of world record-breaking performances from more than 2,600 athletes from 201 countries at the 21st edition of the flagship global aquatics event. 

The event, which ran from February 2 to 18, attracted global appeal as over 320 hours of live broadcast coverage of every competition session and 17 daily one-hour highlights programs were distributed to broadcast partners worldwide.

World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam paid tribute to the athletes and praised Doha 2024, saying: “Doha has been an outstanding home for our athletes and our aquatics family. Our athletes have loved competing here, and I know that they would want me to give a very big thank you to all the organisers.” 

On the opening night of swimming in the Aspire Dome, nineteen-year-old Pan Zhanle diminished the 100m freestyle World Record to 46.80 as the swimmer ushered off the 4x100m freestyle relay for China to go gold. 

Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden completed the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly golden double, earning her record-extending 13th and 14th individual World Championship titles.

Twenty-nine countries won swimming medals in Doha, making for the most profound medal table in World Aquatics Championship history.

In diving, China delivered dominance as the country’s divers won gold in nine of the sport’s 13 events in Doha. 

Israeli swimmers controversy

Among the contestants were sixteen Israeli swimmers, sparking controversy as Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza continues, killing at least 29,000 Palestinians and wounding over 68,880. 

The swimmers were Eden Blecher, Shelly Bobritsky, Maya Dorf, Eva Fabian, Ido Gal, Noy Gazala, Eden Girloanta, Catherine Kunin, Aya Mazor, Nikol Nahshonov, Ariel Nassee, Matan Roditi, Neta Rubichek, Anastasia Gorbenko, Daria Golovaty, and Denis Loktev.

Denis Loktev brazenly embraced his role in Israel’s occupation forces, showcasing it on social media through a 2018 Instagram photo where he can be seen carrying a gun in uniform, chaperoned by the caption “IDF Style.”

Other swimmers like Eden Girloanta have earmarked Instagram Highlight to openly support Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza and make callous remarks about Palestinians and their struggle.

The inclusion of swimmers came in line with global sporting bodies’ policies; all host nations of sporting events are required to grant access to its venues without discrimination, despite Russian athletes being outlawed in past international sporting events over their country’s war on Ukraine. 

In response to an inquiry about the swimmers’ attendance, a Qatari official said in a statement to Doha News: “Qatar has a proven track record of successfully hosting major sporting events. When hosting an event, Qatar adheres to the entry requirements set out by the relevant international sporting federation.”

The BDS movement, which promotes boycotts and economic sanctions against Israel, categorically condemned the participation of the Israelis as “something beyond normalisation”.

In specific, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) denounced “in the strongest terms the Qatari official authorities’ permission for a sports delegation representing the Israeli settler-colonial and apartheid regime to participate in the World Aquatics Championships to be held in Doha.”

“In this particular context, it would have been more appropriate for Qatari official authorities to at least respect the decisions of the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit, which called for an end to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and urged harnessing efforts to pressure the Israeli enemy to cease its atrocities,” the statement read.

No official comments addressed the Israeli swimmers in Qatar, yet during the World Aquatics Championships Handover Ceremony between Doha and the future 2025 hosts Singapore, Doha 2024 Director Khaleel Al Jabir emphasised the power of peaceful competition in his address.

“Sport has a unique and powerful role in society and the World Aquatics Championships have exemplified this, reminding us of sports’ unifying power, especially in a world where conflict persists,” he said.

“Children have been inspired by the sport they have watched, and by the work of our Doha 2024 ambassadors visiting schools and clubs. We are confident this will lead to increased participation in aquatics sports in Qatar.”