The World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) will welcome more than 1,000 world-class athletes from over 200 countries for six days of thrilling short-course racing. This will be the third time China has staged the event, following successful editions in Shanghai (2006) and Hangzhou (2018).

The announcement follows the hugely successful World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) – Budapest 2024, where athletes set an unprecedented 30 World Records, 13 World Junior Records, 46 Championship Records and 63 Continental Records. A total of 985 athletes from a record 195 countries competed across 45 medal events, showcasing the phenomenal growth of the sport worldwide. Building on this momentum, World Aquatics looks forward to another remarkable showcase of swimming in Beijing.

“World Aquatics is delighted to return to Beijing for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m),” said World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam. “With competition now confirmed for 1-6 December 2026 and after a brilliant last edition in 2024, we are confident the world’s best swimmers will deliver another extraordinary display of short-course racing in one of the world’s great sporting cities.”

Organised in partnership with the China Swimming Association and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, the 18th edition of the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) will be a highlight of the 2026 international sporting calendar.