Water Polo competition program released for
12th FINA World Championships in Melbourne

 Melbourne 2007 Competition program

 Application form

Spectators and television audiences from around the world can look forward to seeing the world’s best water polo athletes in Melbourne from March 19th to April 1, 2007.

The official program for the 12th FINA World Championships was released today, with the Water Polo program commencing on day two of the 15-day Championships. Thirty four sessions of competition will be held over 14-days with the men’s and women’s competition alternating each day during this period.

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre will host the Water Polo program. Thirty two teams (16 men and 16 women) will compete in the Championships, with the official draw occurring in mid October. Preliminary matches will commence at 9am with finals to commence at 3pm on the final weekend of the World Championships.

Following the release of the competition program, the Minster for Sport and Recreation, Justin Madden, said the 12th FINA World Championships would provide another opportunity for Melbourne to enhance its reputation as the events capital.

“Next March, Melbourne will host the cream of the aquatics world. We will have twice the number of athletes competing at the World Championships than competed in the same events at the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games,” Mr Madden said.

“These athletes represent the best-of-the-best and they will be competing in one of the largest and most coveted international sporting events in the world.

“Spectators and television audiences from around the world can look forward to seeing the world’s best aquatic athletes in Melbourne from 17 March to 1 April, 2007,” Madden said.

The Chairman of the 2007 World Swimming Championships Corporation, Mr Tony Beddison AO, said the release of the competition program was the first of several key announcements regarding the World Championships.

“The Championships are fast approaching and in the coming months the organising committee is looking forward to capturing not only Melbourne’s imagination, but the rest of Australia’s and the worlds,” Mr Beddison said.

“The World Championships are a once-in-a-lifetime event that will feature some of the greatest swimmers on the planet.

“When you combine the calibre of these athletes with the venues, the size of the event and in particular Melbourne’s unrivalled passion for world scale sporting events, it has all of the ingredients for an unforgettable international sporting championships.”

The 12th FINA World Championships will commence with the Opening Ceremony on March 17th, 2007. In conjunction with the Water Polo program four other disciplines are included in the Championships (Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Diving and Synchronised Swimming). Over 2000 athletes from 175 countries are expected to compete in the 15-day Championships.

ENDS

For further information, please contact

Damian Glass, Manager Communications, ph: 03 8866 2012 mob: 0409 320 863

Marina Timmins, Coordinator Communications, ph: 03 8866 2041 mob: 0410 688 590

Ticket information for the 12th FINA World Championships will be released in October. For more information please log on to melbourne2007.com.au and register for the World Championships e-newsletter.

The official partners of the 12th FINA World Championships are Yakult, AstralPool, Omega and Speedo.