Four days before the Closing Ceremony of the 17th FINA World Championships in Budapest (HUN) and of the handover of the FINA flag to the next Organiser, a delegation of the 2019 showcase event in Gwangju (KOR) briefed the media about what is being prepared in Korea.

The FINA President Dr Julio C. Maglione and FINA Executive Director Cornel Marculescu were also present in the Press Conference and transmitted the confidence of the Aquatics family in a great staging of these Championships.

“Gwangju is a vibrant city in a very dynamic country and I have no doubts that the national and local authorities will do their best to provide excellent conditions to our athletes, coaches and officials coming from the five continents”, considered Dr Maglione.

“FINA had several meetings with the 2019 Organising Committee and we are quite confident and optimistic about the outcome of these Championships”, also stated the FINA President.

“In two years’ time, our six disciplines will once more be at the centre of a great Aquatic Festival and the entire FINA Family looks forward to enjoying the hospitality and kindness of the Korean people”, concluded Dr Maglione.

From the Gwangju 2019 delegation, its Secretary General and Vice-President Dr Young-Teck Cho summarised the philosophy behind this organisation.

“Gwangju is a city built on the values of democracy, human rights and peace. The strength of Gwangju comes from our citizens who believe in these values. As an organising committee we wanted to include these values in the World Championships. This is why we created the slogan ‘Dive into Peace’”, considered Dr Cho.

A video displaying the city of Gwangju and the venues – all, including open water swimming, in a radius of 20 minutes - to be used for the Championships was then shown to the media representatives.

After unveiling the logo and mascot of the event, the 2019 Organising Committee announced the launch of the official site of the Championships - www.fina-gwangju2019.com

“In 2019 we want Gwangju to be a place where culture meets sport. By incorporating our history and culture with the FINA World Championships, we believe that it will enhance the experience of all visitors – athletes, officials, fans and especially media”, highlighted Prof. Kwangchul Lew, Vice-Chair of the OC Executive Committee.

He then extended an invitation to all media representatives attending the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeonchang, also in Korea.

“When you are in Pyeongchang, we will organise a free one-day trip to Gwangju. You will have the chance to see the Championships venues, visit our wonderful city and meet with our team and the Mayor of Gwangju”, concluded Prof. Lew.