19. FINA Opening of the World Aquatics Championships

„The first world record was set on land before the race even began."– said President Katalin Novák in her speech officially opening the 19th FINA Aquatics Championships in Budapest’s aquatics complex “Danube Arena”. 
The President also emphasized that as the organisers had only four months to prepare for the world championships, their achievement is also a world record.

„I hope that many more such world records will be set, hopefully by Hungarian athletes, to whom we would like to express the encouragement of the Hungarian people.” – the President said. At the same time she thanked the athletes, whose preparations must have been extremely difficult, since due to the coronavirus epidemic it was not even known earlier whether there would be a world championship and if so, when.

Katalin Novák also said she hopes Hungary - which first hosted the World Aquatics Championships in 2017 - will be able to host world championships at similar intervals. As will be the case in 2024, when Hungary will host the World Short Course Championships.