BELGRADE 2024: FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Published On: May 7, 2024

Credit to: Simone Castrovillari

With Belgrade 2024 set to get underway in less than five weeks, European Aquatics takes a look at five things you should know about the history of the European Championships.

1. The first edition of the European Aquatics Championships was held in Budapest, Hungary, in August 1926. Only men were allowed to compete across swimming, diving and water polo with Germany finishing top of the standings with five golds among 12 medals.

2. Women were permitted to participate in the second edition in Bologna, Italy, in 1927. The men’s and women’s diving programme comprised the 3m springboard and 10m platform. The swimming programme consisted of the 100m and 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 200m breaststroke and the 4x100m freestyle relay in the pool. Men, however, also contested the 1500m freestyle and water polo.

3. Belgrade 2024 will be the 37th staging of the European Aquatics Championships and will comprise swimming, diving, open water and artistic swimming. The Championships will be staged at three venues across the Serbian capital.

4. Italy topped the medal table at the previous edition, Roma 2022. The hosts’ overall medal total of 67 is an all-time record, beating the previous record of 47 set by Russia at Glasgow 2018.

5. The 2024 edition will be the first time Belgrade has hosted the European Championships. It has though staged three European Junior Championships in 2008, 2011 and 2023. The city also hosted the European Water Polo Championship in 2006 and 2016 and will again welcome the continent’s best players in 2026.

The 2024 European Aquatics Championships will run from 10-23 June.

It will serve as a final chance to qualify for Paris 2024 with the qualification period for swimming ending on 23 June, the final day of competition in Belgrade.

The meet will be followed by the European Aquatics Masters Championships Belgrade 2024 which will take place from 26 June to 6 July, featuring the same disciplines plus water polo.