World Aquatics ambassadors were on site throughout the Singapore 2025 championships to engage with aquatics athletes and fans from around the world.
The 11 ambassadors collectively represented all six sports – artistic swimming, diving, high diving, open water swimming, swimming and water polo – as well as all continents. They led on a series of initiatives which enabled them to promote the World Aquatics Championships and share their experiences, both as ambassadors and athletes, with all stakeholders.
With a combined 78 World Aquatics Championships medals and 36 Olympic medals, the ambassadors helped fans get closer to elite athletes in all six sports throughout the event.
The World Aquatics ambassadors were:
- Giorgio Minisini (Italy, artistic swimming)
- Filip Filipović (Serbia, water polo)
- Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands, open water swimming)
- Alice Dearing (Great Britain, open water swimming)
- Melissa Wu (Australia, diving)
- Alain Kohl (Luxembourg, high diving)
- Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Netherlands, swimming)
- Cate Campbell (Australia, swimming)
- Kosuke Kitajima (Japan, swimming)
- Chad Le Clos (South Africa, swimming)
- Anthony Ervin (United States of America, swimming)
Clinics
During the World Aquatics Championships, the ambassadors led a series of clinics across all aquatic sports, aimed at children aged 8 to 15.
The clinics saw the ambassadors share their expertise through coaching on key techniques and offered an opportunity for the young participants to hold a Q&A with some of aquatic sports’ biggest stars.
"It is really important that we use major events like the World Aquatics Championships to reach out to local communities, and it was great to be a part of the clinics which engaged directly with the next generation of aquatics stars"
“From speaking to the other ambassadors, I know the clinics were a great success across all the aquatic sports, and delivered an experience which will hopefully motivate the younger generation even more to embrace aquatic sports for the rest of their lives,” Giorgio Minisini said.
Water polo legend Filip Filipović also ran a coaching clinic, aimed at both international and local coaches in the sport. This will support the development of water polo, both in Singapore and around the world.
World Drowning Prevention Day
Ambassadors also supported the World Drowning Prevention Day initiatives on site in Singapore. In partnership with SportSG and friends/partners in the region, the Singapore 2025 Organising Committee engaged 45 participants of all abilities in four immersive educational stations, each designed to reinforce key water safety principles. The event was supported by a host of World Aquatics ambassadors, including Giorgio Minisini, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Anthony Ervin and Alain Kohl, along with Singapore swimming star Joseph Schooling, each lending their voice and experience to the cause of water safety and drowning prevention.
Ambassador talks
The ambassadors also took part in a range of speaking engagements throughout the World Aquatics Championships, allowing them to share their inspiring stories with a range of audiences.
Swimmers Anthony Ervin, Cate Campbell, Kosuke Kitajima and Chad Le Clos, along with diver Melissa Wu, delivered a talk for international schools at the Asia-Europe Foundation in Singapore.
This enabled them to share their journeys to the top of their respective sports, what aquatics means to them and advice for the audience.
Athlete workshops
The World Aquatics ambassadors attended a series of sport-specific workshops organised by the Development and Athlete Services team, aimed at athletes participating in Singapore.
These workshops covered a range of important topics across all six of the aquatic sports, including environmental sustainability and fuelling performance with plant-based proteins.
These interactive sessions provided athlete perspectives on these key topics.
"I really like the fact that World Aquatics is thinking this way. It’s very forward thinking, it’s innovative, it’s fresh"
"I’m really excited to be a part of it, and I’m hoping that moving forward more opportunities like this will come up for athletes like myself, especially for retired athletes,” Alice Dearing said.
“Giving us the opportunity to be back on the ground at a World Championships is really special, and promoting the sport with all of its highlights and all of the challenges which athletes face, We get to champion that, and showcase what a fantastic sport it is.”
Fan engagement
Ambassadors brought fans closer to the heart of action at Singapore 2025 through a series of meet and greets at the World Aquatics Championships Fanzone.
These meet and greets were well received, allowing fans to connect with their heroes, ask questions and grab photographs.
"It was so fun to meet with fans from all around the world at the World Aquatics Championships"
“Delivering an engaging and innovative fan experience is vital to the ongoing success of our sports, and I was delighted to be able to contribute to that in Singapore.”