The World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup NEOM made its first appearance at NEOM Bay yesterday, bringing together 70 athletes from 17 nationalities and marking an exciting conclusion to both the Open Water Swimming World Cup series and the NEOM Beach Games 2024.
Featuring 37 men and 33 women competitors, including two Saudi athletes, the finale of the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup NEOM showcased NEOM’s commitment to hosting world-class competitions along its unique Red Sea coastline.
In thrilling races, Florian Wellbrock claimed victory in the Men’s category, while Moesha Jonhson triumphed in the Women’s final. The competition featured some of the sport’s biggest names, including Kristof Rasovszky and Moesha Johnson, Paris 2024 Olympics gold and silver medallists respectively, with their participation elevating the prestige of this inaugural event.
By introducing open water swimming to the NEOM Beach Games program, NEOM is highlighting its commitment to growing adventure sports in the Kingdom. NEOM aims to develop an array of sports facilities and programs where athletes of all abilities can immerse themselves in nature as they engage in activities that promote physical activity, health and wellbeing.
Jan Paterson, Managing Director of Sport at NEOM, commented: “Hosting the grand finale of the 2024 World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup is a privilege and we are grateful for the trust of all of our Rights Holders in collaborating with NEOM to deliver the NEOM Beach Games. The event further solidifies NEOM’s ambition to create opportunities for both domestic as well as international athletes, and aims to position NEOM as a partner of choice for international sport for their world-class competitions, which contributes to achieving the goals of Vision 2030. As the Games grow and our collaboration with the National Federations continues NEOM strives to become an innovative hub for sporting excellence whilst driving a legacy for active lifestyles and encouraging development for future generations.”
Husain Al-Musallam, World Aquatics President, added: “After an extraordinary international open water season that included the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the World Aquatics Junior Open Water Swimming Championships, and four thrilling World Cup stops, the season culminates in NEOM for the final race weekend 2024. The competition has never been more intense, with compelling athlete storylines and the overall men’s and women’s World Cup titles set to be decided in the stunning crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea.”
The World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup NEOM concluded the successful third edition of the NEOM Beach Games, which over the course of three weeks welcomed more than 1,000 athletes and Rights Holders from 71 nationalities, including Paris 2024 Olympics medalists.
About NEOM:
NEOM is an accelerator of human progress and a vision of what a New Future might look like. It is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea being built from the ground up as a living laboratory – a place where entrepreneurship will chart the course for this New Future. It will be a destination and a home for people who dream big and want to be part of building a new model for exceptional livability, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation.
NEOM will include hyperconnected, cognitive cities, ports and enterprise zones, research centers, sports and entertainment venues and tourist destinations. As a hub for innovation, entrepreneurs,business leaders and companies will come to research, incubate, and commercialize new technologies and enterprises in groundbreaking ways. Residents of NEOM will embody an international ethos and embrace a culture of exploration, risk-taking and diversity.
