Fina swimming
Selfie-time: Members of the Hungary team pose with the mascot of FINA World Swimming outside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Image Credit: Supplied photo

Abu Dhabi: The FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) opened it’s doors with the FINA Market Street & Event Village for the fans and unveiled their schedule for the six-day extravaganza, which will see some of the world’s best short-course swimmers compete across 44 events over distances - ranging from 50m to 800m.

Some of the marquee events include the men and women’s freestyle 200m and 400m races, as well as team relays, medley events and individual men’s and women’s events like as backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly at the Etihad arena.

The individual and group heats will start from 9.30am with semi-finals and final races from 6:00pm. Visitors of the championships will also have access to the World Aquatics Festival and can watch the open water races and the high dive competitions from December 19 – 20.

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Running daily until December 21 from 9 am to 9 pm, the FINA Market Street & Event Village is where the action takes place outside of the pool. A spectacular multicultural hub, split across several areas, with over 7,800 square metres of exciting activation space for visitors to enjoy, the venue will feature Amphitheatre-style tiered seating, with a 700-square-metre LED video screen built into the main façade of the arena.

Located at the main entrance of Etihad Arena and overlooking Yas Bay and the diving venue, the FINA Market Street & Event Village will provide guests with unforgettable memories and experiences, from incredible meet-and-greet opportunities with their swimming heroes at The Meet the Champions Area. Taking place daily, fans will be treated to special athlete autograph signings, interactive fan engagements, and once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities.

Visitors can also discover a world of sport beyond aquatics at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council Sports Zone, where sports enthusiast and beginners can try their hand at cricket, with the Abu Dhabi Cricket Club, or even golf, with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championships and cycling at the UAE Tour booth.

The Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage Zone is a celebration of the capital’s illustrious heritage and culture. Experience Abu Dhabi’s traditions and get a glimpse into the Emirate’s past with a plethora of exciting activities, including henna sessions, falcon meet and greets, Arabic calligraphy art classes, pearl harvesting demonstrations whist listening to traditional Emirati musicians.

Tickets are available across several categories including individual race heats (starting from AED 10), individual race finals (starting from AED 25) and exclusive packages for all races (starting from AED 150). Family packages are also available for two adults and two children under the age of sixteen, and start from AED 50, for individual races and AED 500 for all races.

For more information on the complete line-up, please visit: https://fina-abudhabi2021.org/the-event/schedule.