South Korea's southwestern city of Gwangju is putting forth last-minute efforts to host the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships.
 
FINA will announce host cities for both the 2019 and 2021 championships on Friday in Barcelona. Budapest, Hungary, the United Arab Emirates, Gwangju in South Korea, and Baku in Azerbaijan are competing for the games.
 
Sources say South Korea's Gwangju may be better positioned in a two-way race for the 2019 games with Budapest, which is also bidding to host in 2021. 
 
Gwangju is preparing for its final presentation to the FINA panel of judges. Representatives from the city will emphasize that all the arenas in Gwangju are only separated by a two-minute walk. The city’s slogan for the games is “Beyond the Waves!”
 
The judging panel is comprised of 22 members and the Hungarian official will sit out from the vote. The successful city will have to earn at least eleven votes from 21 officials.