These are conducted on behalf of the sport's governing body, Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) by an affiliated national federation.
[1] A world championship is conducted at two sites within a geographical locality - one being an olympic-size swimming pool (also known as a long course pool) and the other being an open water site suitable for long-distance finswimming.
Races are conducted in the following techniques and distances for both male and female swimmers: As of 2014, the long-distance competition is held over one day for senior and juniors swimmers with the following schedule: Morning - 4 x 2 km mixed team relay (2 men and 2 women) and Afternoon - 6 km individual swim.
Long distance swimming is only open to SF and BF techniques.
Since 2006 competitions at all distances have been held at a single world championship.