With the 2025 season complete and a new year on the horizon, World Aquatics celebrates the sport's standout performers with the Athletes of the Year Awards, honouring the open water swimmers who defined the season. 

Johnson's Historic Double Marks Australia's Open Water Breakthrough 

Australian Moesha Johnson emerged as the dominant force in women's open water swimming at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, claiming a stunning 5km and 10km double off Sentosa Island. 

Johnson's 10km victory held particular significance, delivering Australia's first-ever world title in the event. She also won bronze in the Women’s 3km Knockout Sprint, contributing three of her country’s four Open Water Swimming medals in Singapore. 

“Australia is such a proud swimming nation. We’ve got this proud history that we talk about all the time. Kareena Lee’s bronze in Tokyo, that was the first time we were like, we can do this. I jumped over to open water after that, and the generation on the team now, we’ve come together as a passionate team and we want to put Australia on the map,” she reflected after her 5km success. 

“We saw glimpses of that in Doha, but to have a male and female on the podium here, that’s showing where we’re going. We’re not just pool swimmers, we’re a swimming nation of all disciplines.” 

Johnson carried her silver from the Paris 2024 Olympics into the 2025 season with renewed ambitions: "Since the Olympics, I've tried to embrace the opportunity, knowing that I've accomplished something amazing and I don't have anything to prove. I don't just want to win, I want to make sure I put myself up there with the GOATs of the sport." 

Johnson held off strong challenges from Italy's Ginevra Taddeucci in the closing stages of both races, and in doing so drew on months of preparation and sacrifice to preserve her lead. 

"I know that I've worked really hard and I've sacrificed a lot of time on weekends and a lot of social activities, and basically when I'm in front, I'm just trying to stay in front because to get a whole body length around me is really challenging," Johnson explained after the 10km race. 

"When you're leading, you're trying to stay calm and just keep them behind you. I had no idea where she was. I knew she was going to bite, to be honest, I knew she wanted it today, and then I saw a splash beside me, so I started kicking my legs." 

Beyond Singapore, Johnson enjoyed a successful campaign on the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup, claiming 10km victories in Somabay (EGY) and Setubal (POR), along with the 3km Knockout Sprint title in Golfo Aranci (ITA). 

Wellbrock's Clean Sweep Cements Legacy 

Germany's Florian Wellbrock reinforced his status as the sport's most complete performer with a flawless display at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. 

Wellbrock achieved an incredible clean sweep of individual events, capturing gold in the 5km, 10km and 3km Knockout Sprint, before anchoring Germany to victory in the Mixed 4x1500m relay for an unprecedented four-gold haul. 

The achievement made him only the third man in World Aquatics Championships history to win both the 10km and 5km at a single edition. 

“I arrived here in Singapore to have a great position in the 10km. All other events were like a bonus for me," Wellbrock admitted after completing his remarkable set of triumphs in the Mixed 4x1500m. 

"After gold in the 10km [and] 5km, I could feel more pressure and was excited for the sprint, especially since it was my first Knockout Sprint. I had a new experience and today to finish with a fourth gold in the relay is unbelievable." 

He spoke emotionally about the team achievement in the Mixed 4x1500m Relay, after helping Germany to overcome challenges from Italy and Hungary. 

“I'm still speechless. I have no idea how I did it. We made history today. Yesterday I had a bit of problems falling asleep because I was so nervous. The relay is always special, with the different techniques from Hungary, from Italy. I'm absolutely proud of my team and our performance,” Wellbrock said. 

Wellbrock's masterclass in Singapore cemented his status as one of open water swimming's most decorated athletes, capable of excelling across distances and formats. 

Johnson and Wellbrock stand as the 2025 World Aquatics Open Water Swimming Athletes of the Year, after incredible seasons in which they reshaped the sport's competitive landscape.