23 October 2026
The World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2026 delivered a memorable Silk Road Tour, travelling from Baku, Azerbaijan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan before reaching its dramatic conclusion in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Now that the hosts for the Swimming World Cup 2027 have been announced, let’s look back on some of the key moments that grabbed the headlines during the 2026 edition.
McEvoy and Kornev tie in Tashkent
When Australia's Cameron McEvoy and Russia's Egor Kornev tied in the 100m Freestyle in Tashkent, it captured the defining rivalry of the Swimming World Cup 2026.
McEvoy made the stronger start, 0.26 seconds ahead of Kornev by the half-way mark. Kornev, however, came back over the final 25m, closing the gap to reach the wall at exactly the same time of 45.24.
Their tie in Tashkent underlined just how closely matched the pair had become.
"It’s crazy to have these types of battles consistently. It’s not the last time we’re having good battles here, but we’re going to continue to have really good battles all the way through to LA 2028. Yeah, it’s a special rivalry, and I have a lot of respect for Egor,” said McEvoy in Astana.
From Kornev’s side, he also added that competing with McEvoy “gives a lot of motivation”.
“I’m very happy for him because we are friends beside the competition,” Kornev said.
Coetze seals the title in the final race
The men's overall World Cup title came down to one final race with Pieter Coetze needing nothing less than victory in the 50m Backstroke final to claim the series title from Kornev.
The South African was marginally ahead of the Russian by just 0.07 seconds at the turn, but found the final acceleration needed in the last 25m to touch first in 22.36.
The victory secured the overall World Cup title with 172.9 points, ahead of Kornev on 170.7.
Coetze will therefore arrive in Beijing as both a World-Record holder (having broken the 50m WR in Tashkent), and World Cup champion.
At just 22 years old, both Coetze and Kornev are expected to enjoy plenty of evenly fought duels in the months ahead.
Reflecting on the pressure of the final race in Astana, Coetze said: “I tried not to think about it coming into the race. I just did it like any other race.
Wasick secures the ‘Triple-Triple’
34-Year-old Katarzyna Wasick won the Women's 50m Freestyle at all three stops of the 2026 World Cup, completing the Triple Crown in Astana by edging out overall champion Marrit Steenbergen to extend her remarkable run of consecutive World Cup victories in the event to nine.
The achievement reinforced Wasick's status as the one to beat in the event and added another chapter to her remarkable longevity at the highest level.
“I feel amazing, honestly. To be able to win so many times, so many years, at my age, it’s not easy, definitely not easy. But I’m happy I’m able to keep my form and just keep improving. Every stop I was faster, so that makes me really happy”, she said.
Beijing will reveal whether she can extend her reign on the biggest short-course stage of the season. And looking ahead, will she be able to defend her titles as the Swimming World Cup goes to Berlin, Paris and London in 2027?
Kornev’s World Record performance
Kornev produced a stunning 21.28 in the Men's 50m Butterfly on stop two, breaking the World Record and adding another landmark to a tour that had already seen him match the global mark in the 100m Freestyle in Baku.
The 50m Butterfly record was a defining moment in Tashkent. It also strengthened Kornev's position in the overall standings and set up a compelling final weekend in Kazakhstan.
Kornev said himself he “wants to be the fastest in the world”, and the three weeks of the Swimming World Cup were an opportunity to find improvement. After his astounding 100m Freestyle, he said: “I am very excited about the race, even if it is now a repeat record. There was a bad stroke before so I’ve got my potential, and I’ll show what I’ve got in the next stops. I’m very thrilled about the next competitions.”
The next question is whether he can turn that speed into a world title in China and continue this form to 2027.
Yu Yiting sets Asian Record as Beijing approaches
Yu Yiting saved a record-breaking performance for the final race of the 2026 Swimming World Cup, powering through the women's 200m Individual Medley in Astana to win in 2:02.63 and lower her own Asian Record.
Yu's performance was part of a wider record-breaking final stop. The Netherlands' Steenbergen set a European Record in the 200m Freestyle in 1:50.33, while Singapore's Gan Ching Hwee established an Asian Record in the 1500m Freestyle in 15:38.41. Yu also set an Asian Record in the 100m Butterfly, clocking 55.17 in Astana.
For Yu, fresh from seven medals at the Asian Games in Japan and three consecutive World Cup victories in the 200m Individual Medley, she heads to a home World Championships with confidence, improved times and valuable experience against international rivals.
The Swimming World Cup has set the stage for an exciting World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) this December and for the return of the Swimming World Cup next year as the competition goes to three renowned host cities in Berlin, Paris and London, with direct Olympic qualification places on the line.