Open water swimming at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships – Women's 3 km knockout sprint

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The women’s 3 km knockout sprint at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships took place on July 19, 2025 off Palawan Beach, Sentosa, Singapore. This was the first time the event was held at the World Championships. A total of 57 swimmers from 35 nations competed.

Format:
The race used three rounds in open water: two heats of 1500 metres, a 1000-metre semifinal, and a 500-metre final. The top ten finishers from each heat moved to the semifinal, and the top ten from the semifinal advanced to the final. Each round used a single four-corner loop in the water.

Heats:
Ginevra Taddeucci of Italy and Kseniia Misharina won the two heats, with several others, including Isabel Gose of Germany, Bettina Fábián of Hungary, Lisa Pou of Monaco, and Moesha Johnson of Australia, also qualifying for the semifinal.

Semifinal:
Isabel Gose led early, with Taddeucci and Fábián close behind. Moesha Johnson surged on the final stretch to win the semifinal, with Kajimoto finishing second and Taddeucci third. Gose and Pou were among the others to join Johnson in the final.

Final:
Ichika Kajimoto of Japan sprinted ahead on the final straight to win gold in 6:19.9, about a body-length clear of Ginevra Taddeucci, who took silver in 6:21.9. Moesha Johnson and Bettina Fábián finished tied for bronze, both in 6:23.1. Isabel Gose and Lea Boy also finished strongly, tying for fourth in 6:23.3.

Impact:
Kajimoto’s victory gave Japan its first-ever gold medal in open-water swimming at a world championship. Fábián earned her first individual world championship medal with bronze. The race was described as chaotic and fast-paced, with a dramatic late sprint deciding the medals.