History will be made in Azerbaijan from 1-3 October as the first World Aquatics event in the country launches the three-stop Silk Road Tour, featuring 216 athletes from 44 nations, USD $1.2 million in prize money and wildcard places for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing up for grabs.
- Baku to open “unforgettable three weeks of racing” on the Silk Road Tour, featuring 216 athletes from 44 nations
- Rights-free content available on Media Pool throughout competition
The World Aquatics Swimming World Cup begins its journey at the Aquatic Palace in Baku, opening the three-week Silk Road Tour which then heads to Tashkent, Uzbekistan (8-10 October) and Astana, Kazakhstan (15-17 October). All three host cities sit on the historic trade routes that once linked East and West.
Since it was opened in 2015, the Aquatic Palace in Baku has already become a familiar stage on the global competition circuit, hosting the European Games in its first year and the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017. With three swimming pools and capacity for 10,000 people, the state-of-the-art venue provides a fitting setting to launch the 2026 edition.
Tickets for the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2026 in Baku are available to purchase here.
A landmark moment for Azerbaijan
With Baku having been proclaimed the Capital of World Sport this year, Azerbaijan Swimming Federation President Zaur Aliyev expressed his excitement about hosting the milestone competition and the impact it will have on the future of swimming in the country.
“We are witnessing a landmark event for Azerbaijani sport. For the first time, our country is hosting the Swimming World Cup,” said Aliyev.
“This is a reflection of our country's experience in hosting major international events and of the trust placed in our state.
“Having renowned athletes from various countries compete here in Baku, giving our local swimmers the opportunity to compete at such a high level is extremely important for the future development and growing popularity of swimming in Azerbaijan.”
“Unforgettable three weeks” building towards Beijing
Baku will see Olympic medallists, World Champions and World Record holders in the water.
“We’ve put in a huge amount of work over the past few weeks to prepare for the Swimming World Cup, so I’m really looking forward to kicking off the Silk Road Tour in Baku. With 216 athletes from 44 nations, we know the standard is going to be high, and I am sure it will be an unforgettable three weeks of racing,” said the Netherlands’ star Caspar Corbeau.
"The Silk Road Tour is the perfect way to build towards the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing, and I am determined to make the most of it"
Marrit Steenbergen (NED) added: “It’s very exciting to be competing in three new host cities on the Swimming World Cup, beginning in Baku. Azerbaijan has such a rich history, and we’ve seen first-hand that swimming is growing rapidly here.
"The atmosphere around Baku has been brilliant already, and I am honoured to be racing on this historic Silk Road Tour"
Among the men, Australia's Cameron McEvoy arrives as Olympic 50m Freestyle champion and current World Record holder in the event (20.88). China's Qin Haiyang, the 2023 overall Swimming World Cup winner, is the man to beat in the breaststroke events. The USA's Shaine Casas was overall runner-up on last year’s Swimming World Cup, while Corbeau – the first man under two minutes in the 200m Breaststroke at last year's Toronto stop – and 22-year-old sprint star Egor Kornev (RUS) also feature.
In the women's events, Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey, a four-time Olympic medallist, leads a strong field. Poland's Katarzyna Wasick is chasing a third straight Triple Crown in the 50m Freestyle. World Record holders Steenbergen (100m Freestyle) and Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS, 200m Breaststroke) are also in Baku.
The full list of participating athletes is available here.
Silk Road Tour at a glance
The series moves from North America in 2025 to three cities in the heart of the historic Silk Road, with Baku, Tashkent and Astana all hosting Swimming World Cup events for the first time.
A new system offers direct qualification for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) to any swimmer who finishes in the top three of an individual final with an A standard time at any of the three stops. Federations can send up to three additional swimmers as a result.
There is USD $1.2 million in prize money, with an extra USD $10,000 for World Record-setters and for Crown winners, who win the same event at all three stops (or two of the three in the 800m or 1500m Freestyle).
With the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing lying ahead in December, every final in Baku carries added weight.
Schedule
Morning heats begin at 10am local team across the three days of competition.
Finals in the evening start at 7pm on day one, and 6pm on days two and three.
The full schedule can be found here.
Where to watch
Racing will be shown live and on demand through World Aquatics broadcast partners around the world, and on the World Aquatics Recast channel in other markets.
Full details are available here.
Rights-free content on Media Pool
Media covering the Silk Road Tour can find the latest rights-free content from each stop on the World Aquatics MEDIA POOL.
Media preview assets for the Baku stop are currently available, and assets including rights-free imagery, highlights and b-roll footage will be added throughout the event.