The Olympic Games have just finished, but the best water polo teams will gather again in Japan soon.
The postponed 19th FINA World Championships will be held in Fukuoka between May 13 and 29.
After the Tokyo Games, the list of the participating teams at the Championships in Fukuoka is almost complete. The Olympic Games were one of the qualifying tournaments.
Teams can earn the World Championships berths through the World League, the Olympic Games or the World Cup and continental qualifications or championships.
The qualification formulas for men’s and women’s World Championships are the same.
Participating teams
– Host
– The best two (2) teams from the preceding year’s World League if they are not already qualified as the host nation.
– The best four (4) teams from the preceding World Cup or Olympic Games if they are not already qualified as the host nation or from the World League
– Nine (9) teams from the five (5) continents (continental qualifications or continental championships), if they are not qualified as the host nation, from the World League or the Olympic Games/World Cup. The nine teams will be selected according to the following formula: a) Europe – 3, b) Americas – 2, c) Asia – 2, d) Africa – 1, e) Oceania – 1.
Japan qualified as a host. The first qualification competition was the 2020 World League The male national teams of Montenegro and the USA secured their spots at the 2022 Worlds as the winner and the runner-up in the WL. The female teams of the USA and Hungary booked the tickets for Fukuoka through the World League.
Serbia, Greece, Hungary, Spain (men), Spain, Russia, Australia, and the Netherlands (women) qualified based on the results at the Olympic Games, which are a qualification tournament for Championships that come after an Olympic year
The European qualification tournament was the 2020 European Championships. In the following months, it will be known which teams will represent the other continents.
So far, ten male and ten female teams have qualified for the Fukuoka Championships.
Qualified teams, men
Host: Japan.
World League: Montenegro (1st place in the World League), USA (2nd).
Olympic Games: Serbia (1st). Greece (2nd), Hungary (3rd), Spain (4th).
European Championships: Croatia (4th), Italy (6th), Russia (8th).
The remaining six spots will be filled by the teams qualified from continental competitions of Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
Qualified teams, women
Host: Japan
World League: USA (1st), Hungary (2nd).
Olympic Games: Spain (2nd), Russia (4th), Australia (5th), Netherlands (6th).
European Championships: Italy (5th), Greece (6th), France (7th).
The remaining six spots will be filled by the teams qualified from continental competitions of Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
The USA, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Greece, Russia, and Japan will have teams both at men’s and women’s tournaments in Fukuoka, but this list will be probably extended until the end of the qualifications.
Rules in case of vacancies
According to the document FINA by laws, if any team qualified from continental competitions does not accept, then the next highest ranking team willing to accept and participate in the World Championships shall qualify.
If another of the four (4) highest ranking teams from the preceding World Cup or Olympic Games or one (1) of the two (2) highest ranking teams from the preceding year’s World League does not enter, then that position shall be filled from the next highest placed team from that World Cup or Olympic Games.
If no team enters from a continent or if there is an unfilled vacancy from among the teams qualifying from the preceding World Cup or Olympic Games or preceding year’s World League, then each vacancy for that World Championship shall be filled by the next highest placed team(s) from the continental qualification tournament or continental championship with the following rotation: Asia, Americas, Europe, Oceania and Africa
