The FINA World Championships kick off in Kazan on July 24. The native of the host city, Yana Martynova, will pronounce the athletes’ oath.

The FINA World Championships Opening Ceremony is a protocol event hosted for all the participants of the tournament: athletes, FINA Family, FINA Partners, Championships Partners, FINA National Member Federations, and the Organising Committee.

“At first I thought there would be just one oath, a big one, which I have already learned by heart. But then I was told to pronounce a different one. They said, it would be in English but finally the Russian version was confirmed. It so happened that I will have to recite it off hand. But I am not scared. I will definitely be excited, my heart will be racing. After all, a lot of my friends and relatives will be at the stands. It's not every day that I pronounce the oath, but I will do my best to meet the highest standard,” Yana Martynova said.

The 2.5-hour Opening Ceremony will be broadcast live. The coverage of the Opening Ceremony will reach an unprecedented global audience, delivering images from Kazan to water sports fans in 200 countries around the world. 

Igor Krutoy, General Producer of the Opening Ceremony, addressed all water sports fans with a video message: “I invite visitors and local citizens to the Pilgrim show. The performance dedicated to the World Championships opening is to become this summer’s most memorable event. The show brings together up to 200 ballet dancers, circus performers, synchro swimmers and Tatarstan’s most gifted singers on one stage. The Pilgrim show is a quest in search of the spring of life. Together with the show’s characters, we will find ourselves amidst a sea storm, discover the secret of an ancient city and travel to the bottom of the ocean. Eight re-runs will be staged during the Championships for those who want to see this incredible show. Don’t miss it!”