Beijing to host World Aquatics Short-Course Swimming Championships

Beijing has been confirmed as the host city for the 2026 World Aquatics Short-Course Swimming Championships following a decision by the World Aquatics Bureau.

The announcement was made during the World Aquatics General Congress in Singapore, held alongside the ongoing World Aquatics Championships.

More than 1,000 elite swimmers from over 200 countries and regions are expected to compete in the Chinese capital over six days in late 2026.

Beijing, known for its extensive experience in hosting major international sporting events, was selected after a competitive bidding process, World Aquatics said.

"Beijing has demonstrated time and again its capacity to deliver world-class events across all aquatic disciplines," said World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam. "We are confident that this tradition of excellence will continue in 2026."

Beijing has previously hosted 38 World Aquatics events and is also set to stage the full-scale World Aquatics Championships in 2029, which will include open water swimming and high diving in addition to the five core disciplines. 

This will be the third time China has hosted the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m), following Shanghai in 2006 and Hangzhou in 2018.