The World Aquatics recently announced that Beijing (China) will host the upcoming World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in late 2026 following a competitive bidding process and careful consideration by the World Aquatics Bureau.
‘WORLD AQUATICS’ stated that the Chinese capital will welcome over 1,000 world-class athletes from more than 200 countries and regions to compete across six exciting competition days at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) – Beijing 2026.
The World Aquatics, formerly known as the FINA (the International Swimming Federation), is the international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administering international competitions in water sports. It is one of the several international federations which administer a given sport or discipline for both the IOC and the international community. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the international, non-Governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas it is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC is the authority responsible for organizing the Summer, Winter and Youth Olympics.
The World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m), formerly known as the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), also referred to as the ‘short course worlds’, are an international swimming competition staged by the internationally recognized governing body of the sport, World Aquatics.
The World Aquatics Bureau is the executive body of World Aquatics, formerly known as FINA. It’s responsible for the overall management and administration of the organization and its activities including setting policies and strategic direction. The Bureau is composed of elected officials including the President, the Vice-Presidents and the other members who work to advance the aquatic sports globally.
‘WORLD AQUATICS’ further stated that the above announcement, made during the World Aquatics General Congress that is taking place alongside the World Aquatics Championship and the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Singapore, recognized Beijing’s demonstrated excellence in hosting previous top-level events in swimming, diving, water polo, and artistic swimming. With Beijing already set to host the World Aquatics Championships in 2029 the City will soon add open water swimming and high diving to its impressive aquatics resume.
The only City to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games – in 2008 and 2022, respectively – Beijing, and China more broadly, are highly respected within the international aquatics’ community. China has hosted 109 previous World Aquatics events, including the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai. This will be the third time that China will host the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) following the 2006 edition in Shanghai and the 2018 championships in Hangzhou.
With a track record of hosting 38 previous World Aquatics events Beijing is well-positioned to deliver an unforgettable experience for the athletes and the fans in 2026.
The 2026 edition follows the highly successful 2024 Championships in Budapest (Hungary) where the swimmers set 30 world records in the short-course pool – the most ever set at a single World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m).
Exulted Husain Al Musallam, World Aquatics President, “The World Aquatics is delighted that China – a proud swimming nation – and its vibrant capital Beijing will host the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) for the first time. China has a rich swimming tradition and we are excited to return to Beijing where we are confident the world’s best short-course swimmers will be given every opportunity to perform at their highest level. We are deeply grateful to our hosts for their commitment to aquatics and are already looking forward to 2026.”
The showcase global swimming event will be organized in close cooperation with the Chinese Swimming Association and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports (a Government agency in Beijing responsible for managing and promoting sports and physical education within the City).
The Chinese Swimming Association is the national federation which oversees aquatic sports in China. It is a national non-Governmental, nonprofit sports organization which oversees competition in swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, and open water swimming.
Zhou Jihong, Chinese Swimming Association President, welcomed the announcement saying, “We are thrilled and deeply honored to host the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in 2026 in Beijing, a City with a proud Olympic history and a passion for aquatic sports. This prestigious competition brings together the world’s best swimmers and with the remarkable number of World Records broken at the last edition we anticipate another great spectacle. We look forward to welcoming the swimming fans from around the globe and providing an unforgettable experience for all.”
The World and Olympic champion and Men’s 100m freestyle long-course World Record holder Pan Zhanle also expressed his excitement about the 18th edition of the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) coming to Beijing – “I can’t wait to compete at the World Swimming Championships in Beijing. The atmosphere and energy of short-course racing, combined with the intensity of a championship event, will create an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience. With so many records falling at the 2024 short-course Worlds, I aim to add my name to that list in 2026 in front of my home fans. Hearing that this prestigious event is coming to China in 2026 is exciting and I know that the fans will bring amazing support.”
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