Beijing 2026 Short Course Swimming World Championships Tickets Go on Sale as Official Mascot Is Unveiled

 

The competition will take place from 1–6 December at the Water Cube, the iconic venue of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Mascot Sail and the slogan “Break the Waves, Push the Limits” embody the speed, determination and ambition of the world’s top swimmers.

Tickets are now on sale for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) – Beijing 2026. Organised by World Aquatics in partnership with the Beijing 2026 Organising Committee, the event will run from 1–6 December at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, internationally known as the Water Cube.

The organisers have also unveiled the event’s official mascot, Sail, alongside the slogan “Break the Waves, Push the Limits”. Together, they represent speed, determination and the relentless pursuit of new records, qualities that define elite competitive swimming.

Inspired by the sailfish, renowned for its extraordinary speed in the ocean, Sail features a rounded design and a playful personality. Its streamlined shape reflects the performance and power of swimmers in the pool, while its character captures the competitive spirit of the Championships. The mascot will also feature on a range of official merchandise, including keychains, badges, fridge magnets, cushions, drinkware and stationery.

World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam said the introduction of the mascot and slogan strengthens the identity of the competition and reflects the energy of athletes constantly striving to surpass their limits. The governing body also highlighted its partnership with the Chinese organisers and invited fans from around the world to enjoy six days of world-class racing.

The slogan takes on added significance in light of recent achievements in the sport. At the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest, Hungary, swimmers set 30 world records, the highest number ever recorded at a single edition of the competition. Performances at the 2026 Swimming World Cup have further raised expectations for another memorable season of racing.

The Water Cube will once again play a central role in the event. Built for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, where it hosted swimming competitions, the venue also staged curling during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. This dual Olympic heritage makes it one of the world's distinctive sporting venues to have hosted events at both the Summer and Winter Games.

Among the leading athletes expected to attract attention are Dutch swimmer Marrit Steenbergen and South African swimmer Pieter Coetze, the women's and men's overall winners of the 2026 Swimming World Cup, respectively. Steenbergen highlighted her strong current form and excitement about visiting China for the first time. Coetze, meanwhile, expressed confidence following his recent performances, while acknowledging the high level of competition expected at the Championships.

China's Yu Yiting, who finished second in the women's overall Swimming World Cup standings, also expressed her enthusiasm about competing on home soil and welcoming international athletes and fans to Beijing.

With tickets available and the official event identity now unveiled, the Championships are entering the final stages of preparation. The competition is expected to bring together many of the biggest names in international swimming for six days of medal battles, potential record-breaking performances and world-class sporting entertainment.

Event Information

Event: World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) – Beijing 2026
Dates: 1–6 December 2026
Venue: National Aquatics Centre (Water Cube), Beijing, China
Tickets: Available through the official event and World Aquatics channels.

BERLIN, PARIS AND LONDON TO HOST THE 2027 SWIMMING WORLD CUP, WITH DIRECT QUALIFICATION PLACES FOR LA28

 

World Aquatics announced on October 21 that Berlin, Paris and London will host the 2027 Swimming World Cup. The competition will feature a major new incentive: the opportunity to secure direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in six 50m events newly added to the Olympic programme: butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke, for both men and women.

The series will take place over three consecutive weeks, beginning in Berlin from October 15–17, moving to Paris from October 22–24, and concluding in London from October 29–31. Recognised for their Olympic heritage and world-class sporting facilities, the three cities will welcome some of the world's leading swimmers for an edition that carries added significance in the race for Olympic qualification.

Qualification places will be allocated across the three stops. Berlin will determine the qualifiers for the men's 50m backstroke and women's 50m butterfly. In Paris, athletes will compete for places in the men's 50m butterfly and women's 50m breaststroke. London will decide the qualifiers in the men's 50m breaststroke and women's 50m backstroke.

The qualification format will feature preliminary heats on the morning of the first day, followed by quarter-finals in the evening. Semi-finals will take place during the evening session on day two, while the third and final day will feature eight-lane finals. The top six finishers in each designated qualification event will secure a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, under the format announced by the organisers.

The opening leg will take place at the SSE Swimming Hall in Berlin, a familiar venue on the international swimming circuit. Paris will then host the competition at the Olympic Aquatics Centre, a state-of-the-art venue with a capacity of 5,000 spectators that was used during the 2024 Olympic Games and will once again welcome an international swimming competition. The final stop will be held at the London Aquatics Centre, which hosted the swimming events at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

According to World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam, the selection of these three capitals reinforces the competition's Olympic heritage and increases the sporting significance of the 2027 edition, particularly with direct Olympic qualification at stake. The national swimming federations of Germany, France and Great Britain also highlighted the opportunity to welcome elite athletes and bring international swimming closer to fans.

The announcement follows the conclusion of the 2026 Swimming World Cup, held in Baku, Tashkent and Astana as part of the series known as the Silk Road Tour. Dutch swimmer Marrit Steenbergen claimed the women's overall title, while South African Pieter Coetze won the men's competition after a dramatic battle decided in the final race against Russia's Egor Kornev. The 2026 series also featured world records in the men's 50m backstroke, set by Coetze, and the men's 50m butterfly, set by Kornev.

With direct Olympic qualification places at stake, the 2027 Swimming World Cup is expected to take on even greater importance on the international calendar, turning each stop into a decisive opportunity for swimmers seeking to secure their places at LA28.

Fans interested in attending the competition can register their interest in purchasing tickets through World Aquatics' official channels.

2027 Swimming World Cup Calendar

• Berlin, Germany: October 15–17
• Paris, France: October 22–24
• London, United Kingdom: October 29–31

Source: World Aquatics.

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Wasick’s 50m Freestyle unbeaten run continues

Poland’s Kasia Wasick collected yet another win in the 50m Freestyle, having not lost a race in short course meters since December 2022 or a race in the World Cup since 2024. On Thursday night, she swam to 23.63, just holding off Canada’s Taylor Ruck (23.68).
 
“It's not easy when you're 18. It's not easy when you're 20. It's definitely not easy when you're 34,” Wasick said. “So, I am very happy and proud that I can represent my country for so many races and for so many years.
 
“I just focus on the details, and I have the best group here, my coach, my physio and everyone that supports me."
 
Evgeniia Chikunova of Russia swam to 2:17.23 in winning the 200m Breaststroke for her second straight win in the series as a lot of Russian supporters were on hand to cheer her on.
 
“So loud,” she said. Last week, she was 0.03 faster, and will go for a third straight win next week in Kazakhstan. She won comfortably tonight over Tes Schouten (2:20.07).
 
China’s Chen Juner also collected his second straight win in the 100m butterfly, just off his best time to go 49.75 tonight.
 
Americans Anna Peplowski (4:00.25) and Carson Foster (3:37.39) also collected wins in the 400m Freestyle to open the competition.

 

Barr impresses again to claim men’s top spot

 

The men’s overall race is currently held by American Luke Barr, who swam to a 51.05 to win the 100m IM on Thursday night. That swim puts him tied for 16th all-time as he took down two World champions Shaine Casas (51.59) and Finlay Knox (51.65).
 
Barr, who holds a full-time day job in Dallas, has made a huge step in his career since graduating from Indiana University, and has taken a new approach to swimming that has helped him balance his life.
 
“It's definitely a great feeling (winning), I try not to think about it too much,” Barr said. “Trying to still keep swimming it's, like, a fun thing I do on the side, rather than (the) main thing that I'm doing. Otherwise, it'll put too much pressure…So, I'm just enjoying it as it goes."
 
It was the second final of the day for Barr, who was second in the 100m Breaststroke at 56.42 to Russia’s Kirill Prigoda at 55.98.
 
“I was just trying to change my mentality after the 100 Breaststroke,” Barr said. “Forget, good and bad of what happened, and just get straight into that 100 IM and see if I can do the repeat.”
 
Prigoda dominated the 100m Breaststroke field that included three representatives of the all-time top ten and current and former world records. Caspar Corbeau, who was the first man to break 2:00 last year in the 200m, finished third at 56.50 while former long-course world record holder Qin Haiyang was fourth at 56.85.
 
Barr currently has 93.7 overall points through four racing days at this World Cup, holding a firm lead over South Africa’s World champ Pieter Coetze, who won the 200m Backstroke today at 1:49.32. Coetze is coming off a successful summer where he swept the Backstroke finals at the Commonwealth Games and neared the long-course world record in the 100m Backstroke.
 
Coetze’s time today was three tenths faster than what he did to win last week.
 
“I looked at the video, saw what I could improve,” Coetze said. “I think my strategy was a bit different this week. Went out a bit more conservative. So I'm just trying different things and hopefully over the next few weeks and months I can drop a lot from that time.
 
“I tried to focus on holding my stroke rate into the walls because I tend to slow down a little bit as I get to the walls.”

Steenbergen continues her sparkling form

 

Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands scored two wins on Thursday with a new European record in the 100m Individual Medley (IM) at 56.18, as well as a win in the 50m Backstroke at 25.70.

Steenbergen’s 56.18 lowered her continental mark she set last year at 56.26 to remain second on the all-time list. 

“I wasn't expecting to be doing a PB here so I'm really happy with that and a European record as well," Steenbergen said.

She kept rival Roos Vanotterdijk at bay the entire race, out-splitting her on the Breaststroke and Freestyle to win the event for the second straight week. Steenbergen is currently the early leader for the overall World Cup crown, by virtue of her four gold medals last week and her two today. She currently holds a 9-point lead over Vanotterdijk as we are nearing the halfway mark of the tour.

Vanotterdijk was second in both races to Steenbergen, swimming 56.68 in the 100m IM for a new best time, and 26.31 in the 50m Backstroke.

China’s Yu Yiting was third in that 100m IM at 57.57 after also claiming an impressive win in the 200m butterfly at 2:02.75. That swim put her just outside the all-time top ten in 11th. Yu, who raced to five golds and two silvers at the Asian Games a few weeks ago, sits third in the overall World Cup standings, just over a half point behind Vanotterdijk.

Cameron McEvoy inches closer to 50m freestyle world record to open Swimming World Cup in Tashkent

 

Cameron McEvoy and Marrit Steenbergen sit second all-time in their respective events after Thursday’s starter to the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Tashkent

The Swimming World Cup 2026 Silk Road Tour continued on Thursday evening in Uzbekistan with some of the world’s best putting on a scintillating show for the crowd at the Palace of Water Sports within Tashkent's Olympic City complex.

Australia’s Cameron McEvoy, who has transformed and put intention to action on how to best train for the 50m Freestyle, nearly became the second man to break 20 seconds in the final of the 50m Freestyle. McEvoy swam 20.13 to set the World Cup record, lowering the mark he set last week in Baku at 20.22. The swim puts McEvoy second on the all-time list, and helps him close in on the 19.90 that Jordan Crooks set in 2024.

McEvoy, age 32, has committed to a sprint specific training regime that has seen him only achieve a 3km/week volume set in a given training week, allowing him to unlock the potential of the 50m Freestyle. Since committing to becoming a straight 50m Freestyler where his earlier career saw him as a 100/200m Freestyler, McEvoy has won the Olympic gold and two World titles in the long course pool. It was only this month that he executed a flip turn in the short course venue for the first time in five years.

As for whether the 19.9 was on the table for next week in Kazakhstan, McEvoy wasn’t so sure.

"I need to look at my analysis,” McEvoy said. “My swim speed, beautiful. Skills? Not so much. So I think the more I, I guess, get experience at 20.1, 20.2 speed, the more I'll learn the turn. Then hopefully, hopefully I can find something like 0.14 and go 19.99 or something like that. That would be incredible. So… if not now, I'll try it in Beijing."

McEvoy finished well ahead of Russia’s Egor Kornev (20.61) in second, who tied the 100m Freestyle world record last week and has emerged as McEvoy’s biggest challenger.

“Yeah, the bar is high,” McEvoy said of racing Kornev. “You have to get the second best ever in the 50m free to win, or you have to beat the world record holder in the 100m to win. It's pretty crazy.  So I didn't pick the easy events to get a point score at these World Cups, but I think it's very good entertainment for the swim community.”

World Para Swimming Championships to return to Mexico in 2027

 

Guadalajara to host the competition from 25 July to 1 August as the Championships return to the Americas for the fourth time

The World Para Swimming Championships will return to Mexico for the first time in a decade, with Guadalajara hosting the competition for the first time from 25 July to 1 August 2027. The competition will be held at the Centro Acuatico CODE Metropolitano, a venue that has hosted the Para Swimming World Series in the country since 2023.

The World Para Swimming Championships Mexico 2027 will be the 13th edition of the competition and the fourth to take place in the Americas, after Mar del Plata 2002, Montreal 2013 and Mexico City 2017.

This will be the biggest Para swimming event on the road to the LA28 Paralympic Games, with more than 600 athletes from over 70 nations expected to compete in 175 medal events.

“The World Para Swimming Championships will return to Mexico next year and we are delighted to share this news with our community,” Craig Nicholson, Head of World Para Swimming, said. “With LA28 in sight, this will be a great opportunity for athletes and teams to compete in a time zone similar to what they will experience at the Paralympic Games. This also means that the World Championships will be hosted across three different continents within five years, and that is fantastic for reaching different audiences, who will have the opportunity to watch the athletes competing for medals at the two most important events in Para swimming.

“Another aspect we want to highlight is that, as was the case in Singapore 2025, we are once again taking the World Championships to a venue that has previously hosted the World Series. Not only have the facilities been tested and approved to stage major Para swimming competitions, but we also have a Local Organising Committee that is familiar with the sport and with whom we have worked closely for several years.”

In a statement, the National Paralympic Committee of Mexico (NPC Mexico), said:

“Mexico’s designation, and that of the city of Guadalajara, as the host of the 2027 World Para Swimming Championships is a source of immense pride for our Paralympic Movement, but it also represents a great responsibility. Welcoming more than 600 athletes from over 70 countries means opening Mexico’s doors to the world and demonstrating, once again, our ability to organise international sporting events of the highest calibre. Guadalajara has become a key destination for the development of Para Swimming, and now it will have the opportunity to welcome the great figures of this sport to a World Championships that will be part of a decisive moment in the Paralympic cycle on the road to the LA28 Paralympic Games.

“At NPC Mexico, we embrace this challenge with responsibility and with a very clear vision: to deliver a World Championships that leaves a lasting legacy for Mexico and for the international Para sport movement. This achievement does not belong to one person or one institution. It is the result of teamwork, the joining of efforts, and the commitment of all those people and institutions who have believed in our country’s ability to host major international Para sporting events. Welcome to Mexico. Welcome to Guadalajara. See you in 2027.”

Hosts and editions of the World Para Swimming Championships:

•Malta 1994

•Christchurch 1998

•Mar del Plata 2002

•Durban 2006

•Eindhoven 2010

•Montreal 2013

•Glasgow 2015

•Mexico City 2017

•London 2019

•Madeira 2022

•Manchester 2023

•Singapore 2025