World Aquatics Announces Dates for 2026 World Short Course Championships in Beijing
World Aquatics has announced that the 2026 edition of the World Short Course Championships in Beijing will be held from December 1-6 in the Chinese capital. When Beijing welcomes more than 1,000 athletes to the event, it will mark the third time in which China has served as host of the World Short Course Champs. Shanghai (2006) and Hangzhou (2018) previously hosted the competition.
The last edition of the World Short Course Championships was held in 2024 in Budapest, where 30 world records were established. There were 985 athletes in Budapest, representing 195 countries. Beijing is expected to be bigger, with more than 200 nations represented.
“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 December 1-6, 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.”
Beijing will play a prominent role in World Aquatics events in the coming years. In addition to the 2026 World Short Course Championships, Beijing has been named the host of the 2029 World Championships. The city was the host of the Summer Olympics in 2008 and the Winter Olympics in 2022.
