World Aquatics Swimming World Championships (25m) Budapest 2024 preview: Full schedule and how to watch live
Your one-stop guide to the short course World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where Summer McIntosh heads up a star-studdest list of competitors.
Swimming
With Leon Marchand absent, three-time Olympic champion Summer McIntosh headlines a star-studded lineup at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m).
The action will take place from 10 to 15 December in the short course pool in Budapest's Duna Arena, marking the first time Hungary hosts the event in a 25m pool.
The U.S. team, who led the medal table in 2022 with 17 gold and 36 total medals, will boast several Paris 2024 Olympians in their 2024 roster.
Below, we look at the athletes to watch out for, the full competition schedule, and how to watch the action live.
2024 Swimming World Championships (25m) - Athletes to watch
Apart from Marchand, other top competitors who have withdrawn from the event include Olympic gold medallists Niccolò Martinenghi, Thomas Ceccon, Kristof Milak, Torri Huske, and Kaylee McKeown.
In the medley events, all eyes are on former short course world champions Carson Foster and Michael Andrew, who lead a strong U.S. team.
Elsewhere on the men's side, Australia have selected former 400m free LC world champion Elijah Winnington, and five-time short course world medallist Isaac Cooper.
Team GB's Olympic 50m freestyle silver medallist Ben Proud will want to regain the world short-course title he won in 2021, while it will be fascinating to see how Canada's Ilya Kharun, who captured two Olympic bronze medals in 100m and 200m butterfly at Paris 2024, gets on in the shorter course.
Finally, keep an eye out for 200m backstroke Olympic champion Hubert Kos, who will hope to give the local Hungarian fans plenty to cheer.
The women's teams from North America are simply loaded with talent.
Canada's cohort is spearheaded by McIntosh, who won three gold medals at Paris 2024 aged 17. The now 18-year-old has some pedigree in international short course competition, having won three medals in 2021 as a 14-year-old.
She is joined by fellow Paris Olympian Kylie Masse, who took bronze in 200m backstroke**, and 2016 100m free Olympic champion Penny Oleksiak** who will compete at her first short course worlds since 2016.
The big hitters from the U.S. include 100m fly LC world record holder Gretchen Walsh, 200m back Olympic champion and 200m breast SC world record holder Kate Douglass, and breaststroke World Record holder Lilly King.
Another to watch out for is eight-time Olympic medallist Regan Smith, who finished second overall to Douglass in the World Cup with nine individual victories and World Records in the 100m and 200m back, while 400IM Olympic silver medallist Katie Grimes is also set to compete.
Australia have selected a formidable freestyle team in 2022 World SC Female Swimmer of the Meet Lani Pallister, and Meg Harris, who won two relay gold medals at Paris 2024.
2024 Swimming World Championships (25m) - Schedule
All times in CET (UTC+1)
Tuesday, 10 December
9:00am onwards
- Women’s 400m freestyle heats
- Women’s 100m backstroke heats
- Women's 50m butterfly heats
- Women's 100m IM heats
- Women's 4x100m freestyle relay heats
- Men's 1500m freestyle heats
- Men's 100m backstroke heats
- Men's 50m butterfly heats
- Men's 200m IM heats
- Men's 4x100m freestyle relays heats
5:50pm onwards
- Women's 400m freestyle final
- Women's 100m backstroke semis
- Women's 50m butterfly semis
- Women's 200m IM final
- Women's 4x100m freestyle relay final
- Men's 1500m freestyle final
- Men's 100m backstroke semis
- Men's 50m butterfly semis
- Men's 200m IM final
- Men's 4x100m freestyle relay final
Wednesday, 11 December
9:00am onwards
- Women's 100m freestyle heats
- Women's 800m freestyle heats
- Women's 100m breaststroke heats
- Men's 100m freestyle heats
- Men's 100m breaststroke heats
- Mixed 4x50m medley relay heats
5:50pm onwards
- Women's 100m freestyle semis
- Women's 800m freestyle final
- Women's 100m backstroke semis
- Women's 100m breaststroke semis
- Women's 50m butterfly final
- Men's 100m freestyle semis
- Men's 100m backstroke final
- Men's 100m breaststroke semis
- Men's 50m butterfly final
- Mixed 4x50m medley relay final
Thursday, 12 December
9:00am onwards
- Women's 50m backstroke heats
- Women's 200m butterfly heats
- Women's 100m IM heats
- Women's 4x200m freestyle relay heats
- Men's 400m freestyle heats
- Men's 50m backstroke heats
- Men's 200m butterfly heats
- Men's 100m IM heats
5:30pm onwards
- Women's 100m freestyle final
- Women's 50m backstroke semis
- Women's 100m backstroke final
- Women's 200m butterfly final
- Women's 100m IM semis
- Women's 4x200m freestyle relay final
- Men's 100m freestyle final
- Men's 400m freestyle final
- Men's 50m backstroke semis
- Men's 100m backstroke final
- Men's 200m butterfly final
- Men's 100m IM semis
Friday, 13 December
9:00am onwards
- Women's 1500m freestyle heats
- Women's 200m breaststroke heats
- Women's 100m butterfly heats
- Men's 200m breaststroke heats
- Men's 100m butterfly heats
- Men's 4x200m freestyle relay heats
- Mixed 4x50 freestyle relay heats
5:30pm onwards
- Women's 1500m freestyle final
- Women's 50m backstroke final
- Women's 200m breaststroke final
- Women's 100m butterfly semis
- Women's 100m IM final
- Men's 50m backstroke final
- Men's 200m breaststroke final
- Men's 100m butterfly semis
- Men's 100m IM final
- Men's 4x200m freestyle relay final
- Mixed 4x50 freestyle relay final
Summer MCINTOSH
Saturday, 14 December
9:00am onwards
Women's 50m freestyle heats
Women's 50m breaststroke heats
Women's 400m IM heats
Men's 50m freestyle heats
Men's 800m freestyle heats
Men's 50m breaststroke heats
Men's 400m IM heats
Mixed 4x100m medley relay heats
5:30pm onwards
Women's 50m freestyle semis
Women's 50m breaststroke semis
Women's 100m butterfly final
Women's 400m IM final
Men's 50m freestyle semis
Men's 800m freestyle final
Men's 50m breaststroke semis
Men's 100m butterfly final
Men's 400m IM final
Mixed 4x100 medley relay final
Sunday, 15 December
9:00am onwards
Women's 200m freestyle heats
Women's 200m backstroke heats
Women's 4x100m medley relay heats
Men's 200m freestyle heats
Men's 200m backstroke heats
Men's 4x100m medley relay heats
5:30pm onwards
Women's 50m freestyle final
Women's 200m freestyle final
Women's 200m backstroke final
Women's 50m breaststroke final
Women's 4x100m medley relay final
Men's 50m freestyle final
Men's 200m freestyle final
Men's 200m backstroke final
Men's 50m breaststroke final
Men's 4x100m medley relay final
2024 Swimming World Championships (25m) - How to watch live
Details of how to watch the short course World Championships live will be released on the World Aquatics website.