Budapest to host 2017 World swimming championships

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) Budapest will host the 2017 world swimming championships in place of Guadalajara, Mexico, which withdrew due to financial problems.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the championships will be the largest sports event hosted in the capital.

Orban made the announcement on Wednesday in parliament, accompanied by Cornel Marculescu, executive director of FINA.

''This is a gigantic undertaking. There are risks, and success is not written in the stars,'' Orban said. ''If everyone does their job, the venues will be completed on schedule, well before the events.''

Marculescu said studies showed that the impact of the swimming worlds was two to three times the money invested.

''Hungary has great champions in swimming,'' said Marculescu, mentioning Katinka Hosszu, the world swimmer of the year in 2014. ''It would be very important to show the Hungarian people world champions in their home.''

Budapest was scheduled to host the 2021 swimming worlds, but a new bidding process will open for that event.

The worlds are held every two years and include swimming, diving, open water swimming, synchronized swimming, and water polo.

Guadalajara withdrew as the 2017 host last month, citing budget shortfalls connected with the recent drop in oil prices.

This year's championships will be in Kazan, Russia.