Lifesaving sport is practised at every level, from national competitions to regional championships and major international multi-sport events. These championships provide the pathway through which athletes, clubs and teams develop, compete and represent the lifesaving movement.
National Championships
Most ILS Member Organisations organise National Lifesaving Championships, usually including both pool and beach/ocean disciplines. These events are the foundation of lifesaving sport in each country/region. They bring together clubs, athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers, and often serve as the qualification pathway for regional and world-level competition. Records may be recognised where organisers comply with the ILS sanctioning rules.
Regional Championships
Regional Championships bring together athletes and teams from across an ILS Region. They create regular international competition opportunities between Lifesaving World Championships and help develop the sport according to regional conditions, calendars and traditions.
European Championships
The ILS European Region organises the Lifesaving European Championships every two years. The Championships include both pool and surf/ocean disciplines and are normally held in the odd years between Lifesaving World Championships.
The competition rules of the European Region are closely aligned with the ILS Competition Rules, with adaptations where regional conditions require them.
Junior European Championships
The Lifesaving European Championships for Juniors are organised under the aegis of ILS Europe. They are held every year for athletes up to 18 years of age and include both pool and surf/beach disciplines.
These Championships play an important role in athlete development, giving young lifesavers international competition experience and helping prepare the next generation for senior competition.
Multi-Sports Championships
Lifesaving sport is also represented in several international multi-sport events. These events are important opportunities to present lifesaving sport to wider sporting audiences and to strengthen recognition of lifesaving as both a humanitarian movement and a competitive sport.
The World Games
The World Games are organised by the International World Games Association (IWGA) every four years, normally one year after the Summer Olympic Games. They bring together sports and disciplines that are not part of the Olympic Games programme, creating one of the most important international multi-sport stages for lifesaving athletes.
Lifesaving has been part of The World Games since the second edition in London in 1985. The competition is a compact elite programme, usually staged over two days, with places reserved for the world’s leading athletes and teams through the ILS qualification process.
The most recent edition was The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China, where lifesaving was contested as part of a programme of 34 sports, 60 disciplines and 256 medal events. The next edition of The World Games will take place in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2029.
Military World Games and Military World Championships
The International Military Sports Council (CISM) organises the Military Lifesaving World Championships and the Military World Games. These competitions provide an international platform for military lifesaving athletes and reflect the close relationship between lifesaving skills, rescue readiness and service.
World Masters Games
The World Masters Games is an international multi-sport tournament for athletes beyond young adulthood. Held every four years under the International Masters Games Association (IMGA), it provides an important opportunity for Masters athletes to continue competing internationally.
Commonwealth Championships
The Commonwealth Championships are ILS sanctioned events for Commonwealth nations. They provide another international competition opportunity for lifesaving athletes and teams within the Commonwealth sporting community.