The home nation finished the championships on 145 points in the race for the Team Trophy, seven points ahead of Spain on 137 and China on 126.

Great Britain, who won their maiden Artistic Swimming medal in Fukuoka through Kate Shortman, finished fourth with 86 points, with the United States of America with 83 points rounding out the top five.

New rule changes this year, along with the introduction of men’s events, mixed teams in traditional events and the new Acrobatic event, have seen a changing of the guard in the sport which was dominated by China in Budapest in 2022.

Japan won a total of seven medals across the eleven events in Fukuoka, with gold medals won by Yukiko Inui in the Women’s Solo Technical and Women’s Solo Free, Moe Higa and Mashiro Yasunaga combining for gold in the Women’s Duet Technical and sibling pair Tomoka Sato and Yotaro Sato taking gold in the Mixed Duet Technical.

Image Source: Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Spain also won a combined seven medals in Fukuoka, taking gold in both of the inaugural men’s events with Fernando Diaz del Rio Soto winning the Men’s Solo Technical and teammate Dennis Gonzalez Boneu taking gold in the Men’s Solo Free. The European nation’s third and final gold was in the now Mixed Team Technical.

China’s three golds for the championships came via Wenato Cheng and Haoyu Shi in the Mixed Duet Free, and team gold in the Mixed Team Free and the new Mixed Team Acrobatic.

The eleventh and final gold in Fukuoka was won by Austria’s Anna-Maria Alexandri and Eirini-Marina Alexandri in the Women’s Duet Free, with triplet sister Vasiliki Alexandri winning silver in the Women’s Solo Technical and Women’s Solo Free.

 

FINAL TEAM TROPHY STANDINGS | 2023

Image Source: Antoine Saito/World Aquatics
  1. Japan (145 points)
  2. Spain (138)
  3. China (126)
  4. Great Britain (86)
  5. United States of America (83)
  6. Mexico (80)
  7. Italy (73)
  8. Greece (67)
  9. Israel (58)  tied
  10. Ukraine (58)  tied
  11. Austria (54)
  12. France (50)
  13. Colombia (48)
  14. Kazakhstan (44)
  15. Canada (30)
  16. Korea (29)
  17. Thailand (24)
  18. Netherlands (23) tied
  19. Serbia (23) tied
  20. Belgium (20)