The North American-centred tour of the 2025 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup continues this week in Westmont, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago. After a world record and four World Cup records, the racing got off to a good start in Carmel, Indiana, a suburb north of Indianapolis.

Many of the swimmers racing are gaining valuable experience for what the jet lag and environment is going to be when the swimming is held out west in Los Angeles at the 2028 Olympics.

After what we saw last week, here are six races to keep an eye on as the racing gets hotter in stop two of three.

Men’s 200m Backstroke - Hubert Kos vs. the World Record

Image Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Hungary’s Hubert Kos has achieved nearly everything in swimming, from the World title to an Olympic gold medal, but the world record remains. Mitch Larkin’s 1:45.63 from 2015 seems to be on borrowed time as Kos has expressed interest in grabbing that mark. He was 1:45.65 last year en route to a gold medal at the World Short Course Championships in his home city, and last week he was at 1:46.84. With a little more time, perhaps he could crack that 1:45, and he’s already shown he is in the right aerobic shape to take a stab at it.

Men’s 100m Butterfly - Ponti vs. Kharun

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Switzerland’s Noe Ponti had a big last turn to beat Canada’s Ilya Kharun in round one last week in this event, while Kharun handed Ponti his first loss in a short course 50m butterfly in three years. Those two will be jawing at each other over the next two weeks, bringing out the best in each other as two of the best butterfly racers in the entire world.

Add in 33-year-old Chad Le Clos and Olympic silver medalist Joshua Liendo and this will be a can’t miss race in Westmont. Le Clos, the winner of 227 medals at the World Cup since his debut in 2009, showed he still has what it takes to be world class and further cemented his legacy as one of the best butterfly racers of all-time.

Image Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

However it’s clear Ponti and Kharun are in a different class when it comes to their speed off the wall in short course meters. Ponti’s world mark of 47.71 set last year seems safe for now, but the racing will be tight and unpredictable when they line up behind the blocks.

Women’s 100m IM - Gretchen Walsh vs. Kate Douglass

Image Source: Mike Lewis/World Aquatics

The two best swimmers on the World Cup tour went head to head last week in Carmel in the 100m IM with Gretchen Walsh taking round one over Kate Douglass at 55.91 to Douglass’s 56.34. Walsh missed her own world record but Douglass improved on her best time to sit number two on the all-time list.

Image Source: The ever versatile Kate Douglass takes to the basketball hardcourt at the NBA's Chicago Bulls practice facility before the Swimming World Cup in Westmont (Mike Lewis/World Aquatics)

Douglass may be the most versatile swimmer in the world aside from Summer McIntosh while Walsh has perhaps the best underwater kick on the globe, making her that much harder to beat in short course meters. However, if anyone can beat Walsh, it’s Douglass. The key for Douglass is to match the underwater speed on the fly and back as she was running down Walsh on the last 25m in Carmel.

Women’s 100m Backstroke - Regan Smith vs. Kaylee McKeown

Image Source: Australia's Kaylee McKeown racing to a near World Record at the Swimming World Cup last weekend in Carmel, Indiana (Mike Lewis/World Aquatics)

The two greatest backstrokers in the world the last six years, Regan Smith and Kaylee McKeown, will again line up behind the blocks in Westmont. Smith finally got her first head to head win over McKeown individually in six years, giving her some much needed confidence as she lines up in front of another home crowd in good practice for what’s to come in Los Angeles.

Although jet lag was affecting McKeown in Carmel, she’s still a formidable force in this event, having won the last two Olympic gold medals. Smith, however, holds the world record in both short course and long course, and will have the crowd on her side as she looks to extend to the triple crown.

Image Source: Al Bello/Getty Images

Every time these two get in the pool and race, it’s a show, and this weekend will be no different.

Women’s 50m Butterfly - Gretchen Walsh vs. the Clock

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It’s hard to talk about the anticipation of this meet in Westmont without bringing up what Gretchen Walsh has done in the last 12 months. 13 world records in individual events across the long course and short course venues, Walsh has transformed the butterfly events and taken the world records into the stratosphere and isn’t done doing so.

The clock in Carmel read 23.72 after 50 metres of butterfly for Walsh, which was right on her 23.71 in the 50m freestyle heats. Not long ago in 2007, the 50m freestyle world record was 23.59. Could Walsh take the butterfly record into that territory this week? It’s Walsh against the clock and no one else is even close. The only question is: how fast can she go?

Men’s 100m freestyle - Jack Alexy vs. Chris Guiliano

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The Americans have long had a rich tradition in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, and two of the leaders of that relay since 2023, Jack Alexy and Chris Guiliano, will be the two frontrunners in the individual 100m freestyle in Westmont. Alexy is fresh off a career summer, winning silver in the 50m and 100m freestyle at the World Championships in Singapore. Guiliano looks poised to be the number two option as he swam 45.5 in Carmel to Alexy’s 45.3.

Image Source: Mike Lewis/World Aquatics

Alexy has taken on a role of being the top sprinter in the United States and these two will hear the cheers from the Chicago crowd, as they have become consistent forces for the Stars and Stripes and have gained a lot of American fanfare for their leadership and pride.

Bonus: Women’s 200m IM - Leah Hayes as Chicago’s hero

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The Westmont World Cup will be a homecoming of sorts for 2023 World Junior champion Leah Hayes, who is a native of the Chicago suburbs. She has raced in this pool at Illinois High School State and the TYR Pro Swim Series, domestically, and has been met with loud ovations each and every time. Hayes is very proud of her roots and if she can make any final, especially in her best event, the 200m IM, then the crowd will certainly make their voices heard when she walks out. Last week, it was Carmel natives Alex and Aaron Shackell on the receiving end of the cheers, while this week, Hayes will be the fan favorite.

How to Watch

The second stop of the World Cup will continue on Friday, October 17 at 10:00 a.m. local time with finals following that night at 6:00 p.m. local time.

Where to Watch

Image Source: Michael Hirschuber/ World Aquatics

Catch all the action live and watch on demand through our broadcast and streaming partners here.

What's Happened So Far in the 2026 Swimming World Cup

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