Women

Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) is the most decorated woman in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships: G5-S2-B4.

The only athlete to have won more medals in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships is Thomas Lurz (GER): G7-S4-B2.

Cunha can equal Angela Maurer (GER) in winning a medal in open water swimming at six different world aquatics championships.

Cunha won the women's 25km a record four times at the world aquatics championships (2011, 2015, 2017, 2019). Lurz (men's 5km) is the only other swimmer to have won a specific event in open water swimming at least four times at the world aquatics championships.

Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED) claimed three silver medals in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships, the most for a female without having won gold. At the Olympic Games, she won gold in the women's 10km event in Rio in 2016.

Van Rouwendaal could become the second Dutch woman to win a gold medal in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships, after Edith van Dijk (3).

The only women to have won more gold medals in open water swimming at world aquatics championships than Aurélie Muller (FRA, 4) are Cunha (5) and Viola Valli (ITA, 4).

Leonie Beck (GER) could become the first German athlete to win gold in a women's event in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships since Angela Maurer won the women's 25km event in 2009.

Italy has won five gold medals in women's events in open water swimming at world aquatics championships, joint-second most of all countries. Its last gold medal in a women's event dates back to 2013, when Martina Grimaldi won the women's 25km event.


Men

In 2019, Florian Wellbrock (GER) became the first athlete to win gold in open water swimming (men's 10km) and in the pool (men's 1500m) at the same world aquatics championships.

Wellbrock can become the first athlete to win the men's 10km open water swimming event at three successive global championships, after winning at the 2019 world aquatics championships and at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Kristóf Rasovszky (men's 5km in 2019) won Hungary's only gold medal in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships.

Rasovszky can join Shelley Taylor-Smith (AUS, women's 25km) in Perth in 1991 and Valerio Cleri (ITA, men's 25km) in Rome in 2009 as open water swimmers to have won gold in home water at the world aquatics championships.

Sacha Velly (FRA), 17 years old, can become the youngest French male swimmer to win a medal at the world aquatics championships.

Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA, 2) and Axel Reymond (FRA, 2) could win a third gold medal in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships, a feat only Lurz (7) and Yuri Kudinov (KAZ, 3) achieved among men.


General

Italy has won a medal in open water swimming at 12 of the 13 world aquatics championships the sport was on the programme. The exception were the championships in home water in Rome in 1994.

Germany (G13-S15-B12) has won a record 40 medals in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships, including a record 13 gold.

Germany (G3-S0-B1) and United States (G2-S1-B1) have won a record four medals in mixed team events in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships.

France won four of the seven gold medals on offer in open water swimming at the previous world aquatics championships in Budapest, in 2017.

Australia has yet to win gold in a men's event in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships. It is the second most successful nation in men's swimming in the pool at the world aquatics championships.