2007 World Aquatics Championships
Encyclopedia
The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne
, Australia
from 17 March to 1 April 2007. The competition took place at three locations in central Melbourne: the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
(diving and water polo), St Kilda Beach (open water), and Rod Laver Arena
in a temporary pool christened the Susie O'Neill Pool (synchro and swimming).
The total attendance for the championships was more than 215,000, setting a new record attendance for the event.
A total of 2,158 athletes from 167 nations participated in the 2007 Worlds.
At the end of the competition, the medals table contained an entry for Tunisia
, with one gold and one silver medal, both won by Oussama Mellouli
. However, on 11 September 2007, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
in Lausanne
, Switzerland
vacated these results imposing an 18-month competition ban on Mellouli, effective retroactively to 30 October 2006 for doping
with amphetamine
.
A total of 40 gold medals were be available for the Championships. The swimming schedule took place over eight days during the second week of the Championships.
The Swimming events were held at the 15,000 seat Rod Laver Arena
using a temporary pool.
Beach.
.
The water polo was held at the 9,000 seat outdoor pool at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, which was constructed for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
swimming competition.
The water polo competition also served as the qualifying tournament for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
.
by a vote of 15 to 6.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from 17 March to 1 April 2007. The competition took place at three locations in central Melbourne: the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
The Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre is an international sporting venue located in Albert Park, Victoria, Australia. The centre was opened on the 24th of July 1997 at a construction cost of A$65 million. The cost was funded by the State Government of Victoria and the City of Port Phillip...
(diving and water polo), St Kilda Beach (open water), and Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena is a tennis stadium that is part of the Melbourne Park complex located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and has been the main venue for the Australian Open in tennis since 1988, replacing the ageing Kooyong Stadium...
in a temporary pool christened the Susie O'Neill Pool (synchro and swimming).
The total attendance for the championships was more than 215,000, setting a new record attendance for the event.
A total of 2,158 athletes from 167 nations participated in the 2007 Worlds.
Medals table
| 1 | 21 | 14 | 5 | 40 | |
| 2 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 25 | |
| 3 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 26 | |
| 4 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 16 | |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |
| 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 11 | |
| 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 9 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 | |
| 10 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | |
| 11 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | |
| 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 13 |  South Korea |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 16 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 | |
| 17 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| 17 |  Great BritainGreat Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... |
0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 20 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 66 | 65 | 64 | 195 | |
At the end of the competition, the medals table contained an entry for Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, with one gold and one silver medal, both won by Oussama Mellouli
Oussama Mellouli
Oussama "Ous" Mellouli is a Tunisian swimmer who competes in the freestyle and medley events. He currently is an African Record holder, and trains with the USA club based at the University of Southern California, where he went to school and swam, collegiately....
. However, on 11 September 2007, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
vacated these results imposing an 18-month competition ban on Mellouli, effective retroactively to 30 October 2006 for doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
with amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
.
Swimming
The Swimming competition comprised various events using all four strokes (Freestyle, Butterfly, Breaststroke and Backstroke) for men and women ranging in distance from 50 m up to 1500 m.A total of 40 gold medals were be available for the Championships. The swimming schedule took place over eight days during the second week of the Championships.
The Swimming events were held at the 15,000 seat Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena is a tennis stadium that is part of the Melbourne Park complex located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and has been the main venue for the Australian Open in tennis since 1988, replacing the ageing Kooyong Stadium...
using a temporary pool.
Open water swimming
The open water swimming competition saw men and women competing in events over 5 km, 10 km and 25 km distances. Events were held at St KildaSt Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
Beach.
Synchronised swimming
The synchronised swimming competition featured a solo, a duet, and a team competition. There was also a combination routine, consisting of a mixture of the solo, duet and team routine. Events were held at the 15,000 seat Rod Laver Arena using a temporary pool.Diving
The diving competition saw athletes competing for 10 gold medals. Athletes contested the 1 m and 3 m Springboard events, as well as the 10 m Platform as individuals. There were 3 m and 10 m synchronised events for men and women competing as a team. Events were held at the indoor diving pool at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic CentreMelbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
The Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre is an international sporting venue located in Albert Park, Victoria, Australia. The centre was opened on the 24th of July 1997 at a construction cost of A$65 million. The cost was funded by the State Government of Victoria and the City of Port Phillip...
.
Water polo
The water polo competition featured 16 men’s and women’s teams. A round robin competition took place in four divisions, each with four teams, with the two highest placed teams moving through the medal rounds.The water polo was held at the 9,000 seat outdoor pool at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, which was constructed for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
swimming competition.
The water polo competition also served as the qualifying tournament for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
Bidding process
Melbourne was awarded the right to host the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships by the FINA Bureau in Barcelona, Spain on 12 July 2003. Melbourne's bid defeated the bid by Dubai, UAEDubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
by a vote of 15 to 6.