One day before the curtain falls on Friday (19 July) at the BCN2013 Opening Ceremony, the 15th FINA World Championships have officially been presented at the Palau Sant Jordi, where the Synchronised Swimming and Swimming events will be held from Saturday until 4 August.
"The city is ready to host the Barcelona 2013 World Championships," said Barcelona’s Mayor Xavier Trias, thanking the FINA representatives for "trusting that we will host a great event."
Barcelona 2013 has already set the first record before the start of the competition as 181 nations and 2,293 athletes will participate in six aquatic sports in the Catalan capital. "Including all team officials, over 3,000 people will come to Barcelona," said President Maglione. "Diving will be the most beautiful spectacle with the athletes competing in front of the impressive Barcelona skyline. This will be the last time that FINA will host the diving competition in an outdoor venue."
"Barcelona will be the world center of sports during more than two weeks, which makes us very proud," added Maglione. "Over 3,5 billion viewers in 210 territories will watch the great spectacle on television."
Barcelona 2013 co-Presidents, Maite Fandos and Fernando Carpena, as well as Cornel Marculescu, executive director of FINA, also attended the presentation, answering the questions of the Spanish and international media representatives.
Marculescu underlined that the International Swimming Federation will do everything possible to assure a doping-free competition: "We are strongly following the issue of doping. Before the event, 500 blood tests have been conducted and over 300 tests are planned during the Championships. Of course, all medallists will be tested."
Four competition venues, - Palau Sant Jordi, Picornell Pool, Montjuïc Municipal Pool and the Port of Barcelona -, will host six aquatic sports at the Barcelona 2013 World Championships. Fandos looks forward to seeing packed competition venues as the ticket sales are "going better than expected and many people will buy their tickets last minute."
During the 16-day competition, 40 finals will be held in Swimming (28 July to 4 August), ten in Diving (20 to 28 July), seven in Synchronised Swimming (20 to 27 July), seven in Open Water Swimming (20 to 27 July), two in High Diving (29 to 31 July) and two in Water Polo (21 July to 3 August).
"We will definitely see some world records fall in Barcelona," concluded Maglione.
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