The Swimming World Cup heads east in 2026. For the first time, World Aquatics is taking its short course series to Central Asia and the Caucasus, with stops in Baku, Tashkent and Astana over three back-to-back weekends in October. Here’s everything you need before the first heat: dates, the daily event program, start times converted for Indian viewers, how the money works and which names to follow.
2026 Swimming World Cup at a glance
| When | October 1 to 17, 2026 |
| Where | Baku (Azerbaijan), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Astana (Kazakhstan) |
| Pool | 25m (short course) |
| Nickname | The Silk Road Tour |
| Run by | World Aquatics |
| Prize fund | US$1.2 million, with bonuses on top |
| Expected entries | Over 750 swimmers, 50+ national federations |
| What comes next | Short Course World Championships, Beijing, Dec 1–6 |
What makes the 2026 edition different?
Three brand-new host nations. Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have never staged a World Cup stop. They become host countries number 24, 25 and 26 since the series began in 1988.
A direct bridge to Beijing. The tour is the final big short course test before Worlds in December. World Aquatics has raised the Double Crown bonus to $15,000 to reward swimmers who carry October form into December.
A reshuffled field. Two scheduling clashes will thin out the usual powerhouses. Australia’s short course trials run into the Baku weekend, and the United States is running its own Worlds selection meet in late October. That opens the door for Europe and Asia’s best.
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Stop-by-stop guide
Stop 1 – Baku, Azerbaijan (October 1–3)
- Venue: Aquatic Palace
- Time zone: UTC+4
- This is Azerbaijan’s first-ever World Aquatics event, but the pool has plenty of big-meet history. It staged swimming at the 2015 European Games, the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games and the 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival.
- Distance events: Men’s 1500m free (Day 2) and women’s 800m free (Day 3), both timed finals.
Stop 2 – Tashkent, Uzbekistan (October 8–10)
- Venue: Aquatic Palace, Olympic City
- Time zone: UTC+5
- Uzbekistan has never hosted an international swimming competition before this one.
- Distance events: Men’s 800m free (Day 2) and women’s 1500m free (Day 3), both timed finals. The distances swap from Baku.
Stop 3 – Astana, Kazakhstan (October 15–17)
- Venue: Not yet announced
- Time zone: UTC+5
- This will be Kazakhstan’s fourth World Aquatics event and its first World Cup. The series wraps up here with the final session on October 17.
Day-by-day event program
Every stop follows the same three-day pattern: heats in the morning, finals in the evening (local time). Baku and Tashkent use an identical running order. Only the long freestyle events switch. Astana’s program has not been released yet.
Day 1 (Thursday)
- 400 free (W, M)
- 50 back (W) · 200 back (M)
- 200 fly (W) · 100 fly (M)
- 200 breast (W) · 100 breast (M)
- 50 free (W, M)
- 100 IM (W, M)
Day 2 (Friday)
- 400 IM (W)
- 50 back (M)
- 200 free (W)
- 200 IM (M)
- 100 back (W)
- 50 breast (M)
- 50 fly (W)
- 100 free (M)
- 100 breast (W)
- 200 fly (M)
- Men’s distance free: 1500m in Baku, 800m in Tashkent (timed final)
Day 3 (Saturday)
- 400 IM (M)
- 100 fly (W) · 50 fly (M)
- 200 back (W) · 100 back (M)
- 50 breast (W) · 200 breast (M)
- 100 free (W) · 200 free (M)
- 200 IM (W)
- Women’s distance free: 800m in Baku, 1500m in Tashkent (timed final)
Based on the Baku Information Bulletin V2 and Tashkent Information Bulletin V1. Organizers may still change the program.
What time is the Swimming World Cup in India? (IST)
Official session times aren’t out yet. Use this quick converter for any local start time:
| Local start | Baku → IST | Tashkent / Astana → IST |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | 11:30 AM | 10:30 AM |
| 12:00 PM | 1:30 PM | 12:30 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 7:30 PM | 6:30 PM |
Rule of thumb: add 1 hour 30 minutes to Baku time and 30 minutes to Tashkent or Astana time. Evening finals fall in prime time in India.
Other regions:
- US Eastern: 6:00 PM in Baku is 10:00 AM EDT. 6:00 PM in Tashkent/Astana is 9:00 AM EDT.
- UK: Finals start mid-afternoon BST.
- Singapore: Finals start around 9–10 PM SGT.
- Sydney: Evening finals run past midnight. Sydney switches to daylight saving on October 4, so Baku is on AEST and the last two stops are on AEDT.
How the money works
| Bonus or award | Value | How to win it |
|---|---|---|
| Overall prize fund | $1,200,000 | Shared across the three stops and the final standings |
| World record | $10,000 each | Break a short course world record on tour |
| Triple Crown | $10,000 | Win the same event in Baku, Tashkent and Astana |
| Double Crown | $15,000 (up from $10,000) | Triple Crown plus gold in that event at Short Course Worlds |
| Overall champion | TBC | Highest points total. It was $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025 |
At each stop, prize money goes down to 20th place. The 2026 per-place figures haven’t been released yet. For reference, the 2023 tour paid $12,000, $10,000 and $8,000 for the top three. In 2024, World Aquatics handed out eight Double Crowns.
How swimmers earn World Cup points
Points come from two things in every final:
- Where you finish. A win scores the most.
- How fast you swim. A performance score based on World Aquatics points, so a quick winning time is worth more than a slow one.
For example, a winner who also posts a very fast time can collect close to 20 points from a single race. Points build across all three stops. That’s why overall titles usually go to swimmers who race everywhere and win several events each weekend.
Names to follow
Baku organizers have confirmed three headline athletes, and World Aquatics has flagged three more:
- Cameron McEvoy (Australia): Racing the 100 free on tour. He’ll miss the Australian trials and won’t be selected for Beijing.
- Qin Haiyang (China): Named as a Baku headliner.
- Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong): Named as a Baku headliner.
- Caspar Corbeau (Netherlands): Finished third overall in 2025 and set the 200 breast world record in Toronto.
- Tes Schouten (Netherlands): On World Aquatics’ watch list.
- Ellen Walshe (Ireland): Won the 400 IM at two stops last year.
Full entry lists haven’t been published yet.
Where are the Americans and Australians?
United States: No US swimmers are confirmed yet. USA Swimming will pick its Short Course Worlds team at a 25m meet in Westmont, Illinois, on October 28–31. This is its first short course selection meet in years. Americans won the most events on the 2025 tour, so their absence would change the title race.
Australia: The national short course championships and Worlds trials run from September 29 to October 2, which overlaps with Baku. Australia doesn’t exempt swimmers who skip trials.
Looking back: the 2025 World Cup in numbers
The 2025 tour through Carmel, Westmont and Toronto was one of the fastest ever, with 10 short course world records.
- Event wins by nation: USA 43 of 102, Australia 19, Canada 10, Hungary 10
- Women’s title: Kate Douglass (USA) 177.5 pts, just 0.2 ahead of Gretchen Walsh (177.3), with Kaylee McKeown third (173.3). It was Douglass’s second straight overall crown.
- Men’s title: Hubert Kós (HUN) 175.8 pts, ahead of Shaine Casas (171.2) and Caspar Corbeau (171.0). Léon Marchand took the men’s title in 2024.
World records set in 2025:
- Toronto was the fastest stop, with eight records: Kate Douglass (100 free, 49.93), Mollie O’Callaghan (200 free, 1:49.36), Lani Pallister (800 free, 7:54.00), Kaylee McKeown (200 back, 1:57.33), Hubert Kós (100 back, 48.16 and 200 back, 1:45.12), Caspar Corbeau (200 breast, 1:59.52) and Josh Liendo (100 fly, 47.68).
- Carmel: Gretchen Walsh, women’s 50 fly, 23.72.
- Westmont: Regan Smith equalled the women’s 100 back record in 54.02.
Where the World Cup has been recently
- 2026: Baku, Tashkent, Astana (short course)
- 2025: Carmel, Westmont, Toronto (short course)
- 2024: China, South Korea, Singapore (short course)
- 2023: Berlin, Athens, Budapest (long course)
2026 results tracker
Winners will be added after each evening session.
| Stop | Men’s standout | Women’s standout | World records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baku | – | – | – |
| Tashkent | – | – | – |
| Astana | – | – | – |
Overall leaders: to be updated after Baku.
Watching and following live
TV and streaming partners haven’t been named yet. We’ll list them as soon as they’re confirmed. For live times and splits, follow Omega Timing during each session. Check here –>How to Watch the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup: Live Stream, TV and Start Times
Frequently asked questions
When does the 2026 Swimming World Cup start? October 1 in Baku. The tour moves to Tashkent (Oct 8–10) and ends in Astana (Oct 15–17).
Why is it called the Silk Road Tour? All three host cities sit along the historic Silk Road trade routes, and World Aquatics chose the name for this year’s series.
Is it a 25m or 50m competition? It’s 25m (short course) this year. The format changes between seasons. The 2023 edition was held in a 50m pool.
What is the total prize money? $1.2 million, plus $10,000 for every world record and every Triple Crown, and $15,000 for a Double Crown.
What’s the difference between a Triple Crown and a Double Crown? A Triple Crown means winning one event at all three stops. A Double Crown means doing that and then winning the same event at Short Course Worlds in Beijing.
What time are the finals in India? Roughly 7:30 PM IST for Baku and 6:30 PM IST for Tashkent and Astana, if finals start at 6 PM local time. Check back once official times are confirmed.
Who are the defending champions? Kate Douglass (USA) and Hubert Kós (Hungary).
Will American swimmers compete? None are confirmed yet, because USA Swimming’s own selection meet runs Oct 28–31.
Updated September 28, 2026
