This year’s World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships is due to be held in Netanya in Israel ©Getty Images

Netanya in Israel has been selected as the host of this year’s World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships.

World Aquatics has announced that the event will be staged in the Mediterranean resort city from September 4 to 9.

More than 600 promising young swimmers from over 100 countries are expected to participate in the six-day competition.

The Wingate Institute, which includes a 50-metre competition and training pools, is due to stage the event.

Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko, who claimed two gold medals at the Abu Dhabi 2021 World Swimming Championships (25m), said she was delighted that her country had been awarded the World Junior Swimming Championships for the first time.

"Coming from Israel, it’s pretty cool to hear that Netanya will hold the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships," Gorbenko said.

Double world short-course champion Anastasia Gorbenko said she was thrilled by World Aquatics' decision to select Israel as host of the World Junior Swimming Championships for the first time ©Getty Images
Double world short-course champion Anastasia Gorbenko said she was thrilled by World Aquatics' decision to select Israel as host of the World Junior Swimming Championships for the first time ©Getty Images

"I take pride in hearing that my country will host this major event.  

"As a junior swimmer, I was focused on getting faster, seeing where I stack up against the world’s best at your same age and travelling the globe.

"What’s even better is the opportunity to show your friends and competitors the place where you call home.

"I’m sure the athletes will enjoy competing in Netanya as well as find some fun outside the pool in this beautiful, sports-loving city."

The most recent edition of the World Junior Swimming Championships was held last year in Lima in Peru.

Russian city Kazan had originally been due to hold the Championships in 2021 but it was postponed by a year because of the coronavirus-enforced delay of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The event was then moved to Peru after Kazan was stripped of the hosting rights in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Romania’s swimming sensation David Popovici and Portuguese rising star Diogo Matos Ribeiro were among the athletes to set records at last year’s Championships.