World Aquatics: The 2026 Swimming World Cup Will Embark on the “Silk Road”

Xinhua News Agency, Budapest, November 18 (Reporter Zhou Xin) — On the 18th, World Aquatics announced that the 2026 Swimming World Cup series will kick off next October, embarking on a journey along the “Silk Road.”

The World Swimming Federation stated that following the 2025 Swimming World Cup held in North America, the 2026 Swimming World Cup series will move to Asia, serving as preparation for the 18th World Short Course Swimming Championships, which will take place in Beijing from December 1 to 6, 2026.

As the series of qualifying events for the Short Course World Championships, the first leg of the 2026 Swimming World Cup is scheduled to take place from October 1 to 3 in Baku, Azerbaijan—a milestone as this will be the first time Azerbaijan hosts a global swimming event. The second leg will be held from October 8 to 10 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and the third leg will take place from October 15 to 17 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The total prize money for the three legs of the World Cup amounts to US$1.2 million.

Kos, Hungary’s Olympic champion in the men’s 200-meter backstroke, swept all nine gold medals in the men’s 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter backstroke events across the three legs of the 2025 World Cup, earning him the title of Men’s Overall Champion for 2025. He said, “I’m incredibly proud of my performance during the 2025 season. Next year’s World Cup will be held in three ‘Silk Road’ cities with deep historical roots, and I’m sure it will add a unique flair to the competition.”

Hussein Al-Musallam, President of the World Aquatics Federation, stated: “The ‘Silk Road’ series will break away from the conventional format of previous World Cups, opening up new horizons for the world’s top swimmers and giving them the opportunity to compete brilliantly amid the cheers and appreciation of local audiences. In recent years, a major highlight of the compact-format World Swimming Cup has been the strengthening of friendships among participating athletes.”

Source: Xinhua News Agency