Men's 25km

Lars Bottelier (NED) hopes to become the first Dutch male swimmer to win a medal in the men's 25km event at the world aquatics championships.

Axel Reymond (FRA) won the 25km event at the last two world aquatics championships (2017, 2019). The event at the championships in Budapest in 2017 was held at Lake Balaton. He can become the second man to win the 25km event at three world aquatics championships, after Yuri Kudinov (RUS) in 2001, 2003 and 2007. Reymond is also the current European champion in the men's 25km after winning the title at Budapest's Lake Lupa in 2021. Reymond (G2-S0-B0) could join Kudinov (G3-S0-B0), David Meca (ESP, G1-S2-B0) and Petar Stoychev (BUL, G1-S0-B2) on a record three medals in this event at the world aquatics championships.

Andreas Waschburger (GER) is a professional swimmer, specializing in open water swimming. He competed at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, finishing 8th in the 10 km open water marathon.

Italy - An Italian athlete finished on the podium in this event at each of the last three world aquatics championships: gold (Simone Ruffini) and bronze (Matteo Furlan) in 2015, silver (Furlan) in 2017, and bronze (Alessio Occhipinti) in 2019. Only Russia (10, G4-S2-B4) claimed as many medals in the men's 25km at the world aquatics championships as Italy (7, G2-S3-B2). 

Hungary won one medal in the men's 25km event at the world aquatics championships: bronze by Csaba Gercsak in 2011.

Germany's only medal in the men's 25km event at the world aquatics championships was a gold medal for Thomas Lurz (GER) in 2013.

Women's 25km

Lea Boy (GER) won the women's 25km event at Lake Lupa at the European Championships in Budapest in 2021. Boy can become the third German woman to win the 25km event at the world aquatics championships, after Britta Kamrau-Corestein (2007) and Angela Maurer (2009).

Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) won the women's 25km event at the world aquatics championships a record four times, first in 201 and from 2015 to 2019. The only other woman to win this event multiple times at the FINA World Championships is Edith van Dijk (NED) in 2003 and 2005. She can become the first open water swimmer to win a specific event five times at the world aquatics championships. Thomas Lurz (GER) won four gold medals in the men's 5km. Only Angela Maurer (GER, 6 in women's 25km) and Lurz (5 in men's 5km, 5 in men's 10km) won at least five medals in a specific open water swimming event at the world aquatics championships.  She is the most decorated woman in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships: G6-S2-B5. Cunha tied Angela Maurer (GER) in winning a medal in open water swimming at six different world aquatics championships.

Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED) won one gold (10km) and claimed two silver medals in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships.  At the Olympic Games, she won gold in the women's 10km event in Rio in 2016. With her victory in the women’s 10km, Van Rouwendaal became the second Dutch woman to win a gold medal in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships, after Edith van Dijk.

Italy won six of the last 10 titles in the women's 25km at the FINA World Championships and European championships combined.  Italy has won five gold medals in women's events in open water swimming at world aquatics championships, joint-second most of all countries. Its last gold medal in a women's event dates back to 2013, when Martina Grimaldi won the women's 25km event.

Hungary won two medals in this event at the world aquatics championships, silver in both 1994 and 2015. Only Germany (6) finished second in this event more often than Hungary.

France could win the second medal for France in this event, after bronze by Lara Grangeon in 2019.

The only women to have won multiple gold medals in open water swimming at world aquatics championships include Aurélie Muller (FRA, 4),  Cunha (5) and Viola Valli (ITA, 4).

No country has won the women's and men's 25km events at a single FINA World Championships.