2009 World Aquatics Championships

Federica Pellegrini of Italy

Now that the pool waters are calm in Roma, it’s time to assess how the sporting nations performed in the 2009 FINA World Aquatics Championships.

Firstly, the overall league table based on the sum of the results in all the various specialties:
-          Swimming (including Open Water Swimming)
-          Diving
-          Synchronised Swimming
-          Water Polo
 
1.       U.S.A. 1.024 weighted GSN points (same position as in 2007 World Aquatics Championships)
2.       Australia 565 pts (=)
3.       China 468 pts (+4)
4.       Russia 436 pts (-1)
5.       Germany 420 pts (-1)
6.       Great Britain 408 pts (+3)
7.       Italy 359 pts (-2)
8.       Spain 282 pts (+ 7)
9.       France 269 pts (-1)
10.   Brazil 238 pts (+10)
 
Well done the USA and Australia, who have maintained their dominant position (though the Americans’ winning margin has increased this year), and cheers for those countries who have been scaling the ladder: China up four places, Great Britain, Spain and Brazil all up strongly vs the 2007 World Aquatics Championships. A negative performance to note is that of Japan, who were 6th in 2007, as well as 5th overall in Swimming in the 2008 season, and finished the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in 12th position.
 
Here’s more details about each country’s results:
  1. The USA: they dominated the Swimming ranking, improving on their 2007 leadership against their chief aquatic rivals, Australia. But they also improved in Diving, where they ranked second to China (they were 4th in 2007) and in Water Polo, which they won (second in 2007).
  2. Australia: Swimming is their only real asset: they scored 95% of their points there, and were 5th in Diving and 10th in Water Polo, pretty much the same as in 2007.
  3. China: their leap ahead was engineered by trebling the amount of points scored in Swimming, where they ranked 6th (they were 14th in 2007!). But they also won the Diving Championships (again) and were up one position in Synchro. Swimming (4th), thus achieving a very strong result overall.
  4. Russia: they lost 100 points in Swimming vs 2007, and despite winning Synchro. Swimming and finishing well both in Diving (6th) and Water Polo (7th) they couldn’t match their 2007 result.
  5. Germany: they built their result with a strong 3rd place in Swimming, up one position vs 2007, and were in the backwaters in the other sports, their best result being 9th in Diving.
  6. Great Britain: a sparkling performance, up 3 positions from 2007, confirming the progress already made in the 2008 season (3rd overall in Swimming). Swimming was of course their strongest suit, with 4th place, ahead of Russia and China, but good results also came from Diving (7th) and Synchro. Swimming (10th), confirming the strength of the British aquatics movement.
  7. Italy: despite Federica Pellegrini’s world-record clinching victories, the hosts dropped 2 positions from 2007: they came only 7th in Swimming (5th in 2007) and a 4th place in Diving and a 5th in Synchro. Swimming weren’t enough to sustain them.
  8. Spain: a mighty leap up the table from 2007 (plus 7 positions), and only 55% of the points came from Swimming: what propelled Spain were in fact the 2nd place in Synchro. Swimming behind Russia and 3rd place in Water Polo.
  9. France: a lacklustre performance to drop one position vs the 2007 World Aquatics Championships: 8th in Swimming, 16th in Diving, 8th in Synchro. Swimming and nowhere in Water Polo.
  10. Brazil: fantastic performances by Cielo Filho in the men’s 50m and 100m Freestyle rocketed Brazil 10 positions higher than 2007. 98% of Brazil’s points belong to Swimming, though the South Americans did make a showing in Diving (13th) and Synchro. Swimming (12th) too.
 
2007 World Aquatics Championships
Overall ranking
 

Place
Country
Points
Points %
1
United States
1.352
20,5%
2
Australia
852
12,9%
3
Russia
585
8,9%
4
Germany
358
5,4%
5
Italy
357
5,4%
6
Japan
323
4,9%
7
China
287
4,4%
8
France
244
3,7%
9
Great Britain
226
3,4%
10
Canada
177
2,7%
11
South Africa
168
2,5%
12
Hungary
157
2,4%
13
Ukraine
157
2,4%
14
Sweden
153
2,3%
15
Spain
150
2,3%
16
Netherlands
147
2,2%
17
Poland
134
2,0%
18
Greece
92
1,4%
19
Croatia
70
1,1%
20
Brazil
55
0,8%

 
2009 World Aquatics Championships
Overall ranking
 

Place
Country
Points
Pos vs 07
1
United States
1.024
=
2
Australia
565
=
3
China
468
+ 4
4
Russia
436
- 1
5
Germany
420
- 1
6
Great Britain
408
+ 3
7
Italy
359
- 2
8
Spain
282
+ 7
9
France
269
- 1
10
Brazil
238
+ 10
11
Canada
236
- 1
12
Japan
226
- 6
13
Hungary
198
- 1
14
 
 
 
15
 
 
 
16
 
 
 
17
 
 
 
18
 
 
 
19
 
 
 
20
 
 
 

 
2009 World Aquatics Championships
Swimming ranking
 

Place
Country
Points
Points %
1
United States
872
16,2%
2
Australia
537
10,0%
3
Germany
384
7,1%
4
Great Britain
383
7,1%
5
Russia
309
5,7%
6
China
306
5,7%
7
Italy
297
5,5%
8
France
261
4,8%
9
Brazil
233
4,3%
10
Japan
198
3,7%
11
Hungary
198
3,7%
12
Spain
156
2,9%
13
Canada
138
2,6%
14
South Africa
134
2,5%
15
Netherlands
120
2,2%
16
Denmark
111
2,1%
17
Sweden
105
2,0%
18
Serbia
84
1,6%
19
Tunisia
78
1,4%
20
Zimbabwe
72
1,3%