FINA world championships
When: July 24-Aug. 9 Where: Kazan, Russia
What's at stake: 2,500 athletes from 186 countries will compete for world championships in swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, open-water swimming, high diving and water polo. The meet also allows countries to qualify for berths in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Minnesota connections: Laura Ryan of Elk River will compete in 3-meter diving (July 31-Aug. 1) and will team with Abby Johnston in 3-meter synchronized diving (Saturday). Rachel Bootsma of Eden Prairie will swim the 50-meter backstroke (Aug. 5-6), and former Gophers swimmer David Plummer of Minneapolis will compete in the 50 back (Aug. 8-9) and 100 back (Aug. 3-4). There also are several current and former Gophers competing for countries other than the U.S., including Jakub Maly (Austria, 400 individual medley); Joshua Hall (Philippines, 50 and 100 breaststroke); Samantha Harding (Canada, open-water 10K, 1,500 freestyle); and Kierra Smith (Canada, 100 and 200 breaststroke).
TV: NBC and Universal Sports Network will air live or tape-delayed coverage every day of the championships, including Saturday's diving finals (Universal, tape, 5 p.m.), swimming finals on Aug. 4 and Aug. 6 (Universal, live, 9:30 a.m.) and swimming on Aug. 8 (NBC, tape, 2 p.m.) and Aug. 9 (NBC, tape, 1:30 p.m.) For a full TV schedule, go to www.nbcsports.com/tv-listings
Results, schedules and information: www.kazan2015.com/en
rachel blount
