.jpg "World Cup Swimming 2026 Astana")
Quick Answer
The World Aquatics Swimming World Cup takes place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 15 to 17 October 2026 at the Barys Arena Pool. Heats start at 10:00 local time and finals at 18:00 each day. That is 9:00 a.m. ET and 2:00 p.m. UK time for finals. Egor Kornev and Marrit Steenbergen lead the overall standings after day 2 of the second stop in Tashkent.
Table of Contents
- What Is Aquatic Swimming and the Swimming World Cup?
- World Cup Swimming 2026 at a Glance
- Astana Schedule and Start Times
- How to Watch World Cup Swimming
- Astana and Barys Arena Pool
- Season So Far: Stop 1 in Baku
- Season So Far: Stop 2 in Tashkent
- Overall Standings Before Astana
- Key Storylines for Astana
- Swimmers to Watch
- Prize Money, Crowns and Scoring
- What Comes Next
- Statistics Snapshot
- History of the Swimming World Cup
- FAQ
- Related Articles
World Cup Swimming 2026 reaches its final stop in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 15 to 17 October. The World Aquatics Swimming World Cup is called the Silk Road Tour this year. It started in Baku, moved to Tashkent, and finishes at Barys Arena Pool. Every race is in a 25 m pool, known as a short course.
The first two stops have already produced a tied world record, a new world record, and several continental records. Kornev leads the men. Steenbergen leads the women. Astana decides the overall winners and offers a last chance to earn wildcard places for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing this December.
This guide explains what the event is, when you can watch it, and what happened in Baku and Tashkent. Tashkent results are included through day 2. Day 3 takes place on 10 October, and the final standings from that stop were not available when this article was written.
What Is Aquatic Swimming and the Swimming World Cup?
"Aquatic swimming" is a common way to describe competitive swimming run by World Aquatics. World Aquatics is the international federation for swimming, diving, artistic swimming, water polo, open water swimming, and high diving. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was formerly known as FINA, so many fans still search for "FINA Swimming World Cup." World Aquatics also runs the Women's Water Polo World Cup 2026.
The Swimming World Cup is a series of meets held each autumn. Swimmers collect points at every stop. At the end of the series, the top man and the top woman win the overall title and a cash bonus. In 2025, each overall winner received a USD 100,000 bonus.
Short Course Versus Long Course
The Olympic pool is 50 meters long. That format is called long course. The World Cup uses a 25 m pool, called a short course. This changes racing in three ways:
- Swimmers turn twice as often, so turns and underwater kicks decide many races.
- Times are faster than in a 50 m pool, so short course records are kept separately.
- Sprinters, backstrokers, and individual medley swimmers often gain the most.
Steenbergen described this after her 100m backstroke win in Tashkent. She said her turns and underwater work are how she swims fast in short courses.
Why This Event Matters
The 2026 series leads into the 18th World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing, from 1 to 6 December. Swimmers use the World Cup to test their form, win prize money, and earn wildcard places for that championship. World Aquatics lists those wildcards as a prize on offer at the last stop.
World Cup Swimming 2026 at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2026 (Silk Road Tour) |
| Organizer | World Aquatics |
| Stop 3 dates | 15-17 October 2026 |
| Location | Astana, Kazakhstan |
| Venue | Barys Arena Pool |
| Pool | 25m, 10 lanes (competition); 25m, 6 lanes (training) |
| Official training days | 12-14 October |
| Categories | Men and women |
| Series stops | Baku (1-3 Oct), Tashkent (8-10 Oct), Astana (15-17 Oct) |
| Prize pool | USD 1.2 million for the series, plus bonuses |
| Expected field | More than 750 athletes from over 50 nations across the series |
| Defending overall winners (2025) | Hubert Kos (Hungary) and Kate Douglass (USA) |
World Aquatics had not published the Astana event program in the sources checked for this article. Information is not currently available. Check the official World Aquatics schedule page before race day.
Astana Schedule and Start Times
Astana follows the same daily pattern as Baku and Tashkent. Heats begin at 10:00 local time. Finals begin at 18:00. Astana is five hours ahead of UTC.
| Session | Astana (local) | US/Canada Eastern (ET) | UK (BST) | Australia East (AEDT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heats, all three days | 10:00 | 1:00 a.m. | 6:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| Finals, all three days | 18:00 | 9:00 a.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 12:00 a.m. (next day) |
Day by Day
| Day | Date | Heats | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Thursday, 15 October | 10:00 local | 18:00 local |
| Day 2 | Friday, 16 October | 10:00 local | 18:00 local |
| Day 3 | Saturday, 17 October | 10:00 local | 18:00 local |
Eastern Australia converts the finals to midnight, so they fall on the following calendar day. Times for Brisbane and Perth differ because those cities do not use daylight saving time. The UK stays on British Summer Time until 25 October, so the UK times above apply to all three days.
How to Watch World Cup Swimming
US viewers can watch every stop live on Peacock, according to NBC Sports. Its schedule lists the Astana finals at 9 a.m. ET on 15, 16 and 17 October.
World Aquatics says racing is shown live and on demand through its broadcast partners in each region. In markets without a partner, you can watch on the World Aquatics Recast channel. World Aquatics also sells bundles for single stops and for the full series. Depending on your area, the finals broadcast may not be available.
The specific UK, Canadian, and Australian broadcasters for Astana: Information is not currently available. Use the World Aquatics "Where to Watch" page and choose your country.
Tickets for Astana: Information is not currently available.
Astana and Barys Arena Pool
The Host City
Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan. World Aquatics describes the region as part of the northern Silk Road routes. Today the city regularly hosts international sport. Recent events include the Modern Pentathlon World Cup Finals, the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, and the UCI Track Cycling World Cup. Astana will also host the Games of the Future in 2026.
This is the first Swimming World Cup in Kazakhstan. It is the fourth World Aquatics event in the country, after three global water polo tournaments in the 2010s. Dmitriy Balandin, the Rio 2016 Olympic 200m breaststroke champion and secretary general of the Kazakhstan Swimming Federation, said he is proud that Astana hosts the final stage.
The Venue
Barys Arena Pool is inside Barys Arena. The main arena is home to the professional ice hockey club Barys Astana. The complex also includes a second ice rink, an Olympic-size swimming pool and a diving pool. The World Aquatics information bulletin calls Barys Arena Pool an Olympic-standard aquatics venue.
The competition pool has 10 lanes. Swimmers warm up in a separate 6-lane training pool. Teams arrive on 11 October. Training runs from 12 to 14 October. Departures are on 18 October.
Season So Far: Stop 1 in Baku
The first stop ran from 1 to 3 October at the Aquatic Palace in Baku. It was the first World Aquatics event held in Azerbaijan. A total of 216 athletes from 44 nations raced, including 15 Azerbaijani swimmers. The opening ceremony included traditional music, dancing, and a light show.
The Main Results
Kornev of Russia equalled Kyle Chalmers' men's 100m freestyle world record with 44.84. He also set a World Cup record in the 50m backstroke with 22.23 and won the 50m butterfly in 21.64. Teong Tzen Wei of Singapore took silver in 22.01, and Chen Juner of China took bronze in 22.24. Kornev won three golds in Baku. SwimSwam reported that he earned USD 22,000 at this stop.
McEvoy of Australia broke the World Cup record in the men's 50m freestyle on night one with 20.22.
Steenbergen of the Netherlands won four golds: the women's 50m backstroke in 25.75, the 100m backstroke in 55.17, the 100m individual medley in 56.82, and the 100m freestyle in 50.78. Kasia Wasick of Poland took silver in the 100 m freestyle in 52.12, and Taylor Ruck of Canada took bronze in 52.38. Steenbergen also took silver in the 200m individual medley in 2:05.09.
Luke Barr of Australia also won three golds.
Records in Baku
- Asian records: Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong, China) in the 50m freestyle with 23.48. Yu Yiting (China) in the 100m individual medley with 56.99 and the 200m individual medley with 2:02.80.
- African records: Pieter Coetzee (South Africa) in the 50m backstroke with 22.51 and the 100m backstroke with 49.11.
- World Cup records: McEvoy in the 50m freestyle and Kornev in the 50m backstroke.
Roos Van Otterdijk of Belgium won the 50 m and 100 m butterfly. Haughey won the 200m freestyle. Mona McSharry of Ireland won a gold, a silver, and a bronze.
Standings After Baku
| Rank | Men | Points | Women | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egor Kornev (RUS) | 59.3 | Marrit Steenbergen (NED) | 58.2 |
| 2 | Luke Barr (AUS) | 57.4 | Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) | 54.2 |
| 3 | Pieter Coetze (RSA) | 55.6 | Yu Yiting (CHN) | 53.7 |
A note on sources: the Baku wrap-up from World Aquatics lists Kornev's 100m freestyle as 44.84, which equals the world record. A World Aquatics preview article lists 44.88. This article uses 44.84 because it matches the earlier world record mark.
Season So Far: Stop 2 in Tashkent
The second stop runs from 8 to 10 October at the Palace of Water Sports in Tashkent's Olympic City complex. Tashkent hosted the Artistic Swimming World Cup in 2017 and 2018. Results below cover days 1 and 2.
Day 1 (8 October)
McEvoy swam 20.13 in the men's 50m freestyle. SwimSwam reports this as a World Cup, Australian, and Oceanian record.
Steenbergen won the 100m individual medley in 56.18, which lowered her own European record. She also won the 50m backstroke. Vanotterdijk finished second in both races and set two Belgian records.
Kirill Prigoda of Russia won the men's 100m breaststroke. Evgeniia Chikunova of Russia won the women's 200m breaststroke in 2:17.23. McSharry took bronze in 2:20.41.
Day 2 (9 October)
Coetze broke the men's 50m backstroke world record with 22.09. The old mark was 22.11 by Kliment Kolesnikov in 2022. Coetze beat Kornev in 22.29 and Pavel Samusenko in 22.35. Kolesnikov finished sixth in 22.88. It was Coetze's first career world record.
McEvoy and Kornev tied for the 100m freestyle win in 45.24. Both touched the wall at the same time. Kornev cited a nagging back injury that began the week before. McEvoy improved his lifetime best and moved to 11th on the all-time list.
Shaine Casas of the USA won the 200m individual medley in 1:51.81, ahead of Carson Foster in 1:52.21.
Lucas Henveaux of Belgium won the 800m freestyle in 7:37.83. Ilia Sibirtsev of Uzbekistan took bronze in 7:40.77. This was the first medal for a host nation at this year's World Cup. Sibirtsev said he had trained for only two months because of a previous blood clot.
Michael Houlie of South Africa won the 50m breaststroke in 25.67 while dealing with back pain and food poisoning.
On the women's side, Steenbergen won the 100m backstroke in 55.32. Vanotterdijk won the 50m butterfly in 24.75, a new Belgian record. Haughey won the 200m freestyle in 1:51.02. McSharry won the 100m breaststroke in 1:04.25. Yu won the 400m individual medley in 4:27.09. Chen Juner won the 200m butterfly in 1:49.98.
Day 3 (10 October)
Results: Information is not currently available. Day 3 finals start at 18:00 local time on 10 October. Yu's best event, the 200m individual medley, was scheduled for day 3.
Overall Standings Before Astana
These standings are from World Aquatics after day 2 in Tashkent. They will change after day 3.
Women's Standings
| Rank | Swimmer | Points | Key results so far |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marrit Steenbergen (NED) | 116.3 | Four golds in Baku and three in Tashkent through day 2; European record of 56.18 in the 100m IM |
| 2 | Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) | 106.9 | Gold in the 50m and 100m butterfly in Baku and the 50m butterfly in Tashkent; several Belgian records |
| 3 | Yu Yiting (CHN) | 106.2 | Asian records in the 100m and 200m IM in Baku; 400m IM wins at both stops |
| 4th and below | Information is not currently available. | ||
Men's Standings
| Rank | Swimmer | Points | Key results so far |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egor Kornev (RUS) | 113.7 | Tied the 100m freestyle world record in Baku; three golds in Baku; 100m freestyle win in Tashkent |
| 2 | Pieter Coetze (RSA) | 108.0 | 50m backstroke world record in Tashkent; African records in Baku |
| 3 | Carson Foster (USA) | 106.9 | Silver in the 200m IM and the 800m freestyle on day 2 in Tashkent |
| 4th and below | Information is not currently available. | ||
Steenbergen leads by nearly ten points. The men's top three are separated by under eight points, so Astana can still change the order.
Key Storylines for Astana
Kornev Against McEvoy
The sprint rivalry has produced the closest racing of the series. In Baku, Kornev tied the 100m freestyle world record, and McEvoy took silver in 45.36. In Tashkent, they touched together in 45.24.
McEvoy has also lowered his own marks in the 50m freestyle, from 20.22 in Baku to 20.13 in Tashkent. After the Tashkent 100m, he said he expects Kornev to go "insanely fast" in two months. That points to the Beijing championships. Kornev's back problem is the open question before Astana.
Coetze Carries a World Record
Coetze is 22. He won the 100m backstroke world title in 2025 and swam 51.7 twice at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer. His 22.09 in Tashkent is his first career world record. World Aquatics noted that the record keeps a target on his back for Astana. Coetze said his mindset stays the same for every race.
Steenbergen's Points Lead
Steenbergen won four golds in Baku and three more in Tashkent through day 2. She holds the series lead. Vanotterdijk and Yu are close to each other behind her. Yu's strongest event was still to come in Tashkent, so the order behind Steenbergen may change.
Belgium's Record Run
Vanotterdijk set two Belgian records on day 1 in Tashkent and another in the 50m butterfly on day 2. Her 24.75 moved her into a tie for 21st on the all-time list in that event. She sits second in the standings.
A New Region Gets Its Turn
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have each hosted their first World Cup stop. Kazakhstan is next. Sibirtsev's bronze medal in Tashkent was a first for a host nation this season. He said he wanted to show young people that swimming exists in his country. Three World Aquatics scholarship athletes will race in Astana: Valeriya Mirenskaya and David Akopyan of Turkmenistan, and Nesrine Medjahed of Algeria. All three train at the World Aquatics Centre of Excellence in Bahrain.
Swimmers to Watch
The final entry list for Astana: Information is not currently available. The names below raced in Baku or Tashkent and may race again. Check the official entries before you plan around any swimmer.
| Swimmer | Country | Why watch | Series mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egor Kornev | Russia | Leads men's standings; tied the 100m freestyle world record | 44.84 (100m free) |
| Cameron McEvoy | Australia | Olympic champion; World Cup record holder in the 50m freestyle | 20.13 (50m free) |
| Pieter Coetze | South Africa | New 50m backstroke world record holder | 22.09 (50m back) |
| Marrit Steenbergen | Netherlands | Leads women's standings; European record in the 100m IM | 56.18 (100m IM) |
| Roos Vanotterdijk | Belgium | Second in women's standings; several Belgian records | 24.75 (50m fly) |
| Yu Yiting | China | Asian record holder in the 100m and 200m IM | 2:02.80 (200m IM) |
| Siobhan Haughey | Hong Kong, China | Two straight 200m freestyle wins | 1:51.02 (200m free) |
| Carson Foster | USA | Third in men's standings | 1:52.21 (200m IM, silver) |
| Shaine Casas | USA | Won the 200m individual medley in Tashkent | 1:51.81 (200m IM) |
| Mona McSharry | Ireland | Medals at both stops in breaststroke | 1:04.25 (100m breast) |
| Luke Barr | Australia | Three golds in Baku | Information is not currently available |
Prize Money, Crowns and Scoring
The series prize pool is USD 1.2 million, excluding bonuses. SwimSwam reports that the top 20 ranked athletes at each stop earn prize money. World Aquatics says a world record and a crown-winning performance each earn USD 10,000.
In the 2025 series, swimmers broke 12 world records, equalled one and earned 23 crowns. The total payout was USD 1.57 million. That is the benchmark for 2026. The total paid out so far in 2026: Information is not currently available.
How Points Work
The overall standings use World Cup points. According to SwimSwam, a swimmer can earn up to 20 points in one race. Ten points go to a win and up to ten more come from the AQUA points value of the time. Kornev scored the maximum 20 in Baku because his 100m freestyle equalled the world record and scored exactly 1,000 AQUA points.
Ranking points for the World Aquatics world rankings: Information is not currently available.
Wildcards for Beijing
World Aquatics lists wildcard places for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) as a prize in Astana. SwimSwam reports that each nation can receive a maximum of three wildcard athletes.
What Comes Next
The 18th World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) take place in Beijing from 1 to 6 December 2026. The overall World Cup winners will receive their trophies and bonuses after Astana. The series has no stop after 17 October.
Many fans also search for the 2027 series. Host cities and dates: Information is not currently available.
Statistics Snapshot
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| World records set or equalled in 2026 (so far) | 2 (Kornev tie, Coetze new mark) |
| Athletes in Baku | 216 from 44 nations |
| Expected athletes across series | More than 750 from over 50 nations |
| 2026 prize pool | USD 1.2 million |
| 2025 world records broken | 12 (plus one equalled) |
| 2025 crowns earned | 23 |
| 2025 total payout | USD 1.57 million |
| Overall winner bonus (2025) | USD 100,000 each |
| Men's 50m backstroke world record | 22.09, Pieter Coetzee |
| Men's 100m freestyle world record | 44.84, Kyle Chalmers and Egor Kornev |
History of the Swimming World Cup
The Swimming World Cup is a short course series held in different cities each year. The 2023 edition ran in October across three cities. The 2024 edition was held in Shanghai, Incheon and Singapore between October and November. The 2025 edition took place in North America in October.
Hubert Kos of Hungary dominated the 2025 men's series. He won the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke events and set world records in the 100m and 200m backstroke. He won the overall title for the first time. Kate Douglass of the United States won the 2025 women's overall title. Each received a USD 100,000 bonus.
Full winner lists for earlier editions: Information is not currently available in the sources used for this article.
The 2026 edition is the first to visit Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam called it a departure from business as usual, and said it opens the sport to new regions.
FAQ
When is World Cup Swimming 2026 in Astana?
It runs from 15 to 17 October 2026. Heats start at 10:00 local time and finals at 18:00 each day.
Where is the final stop of the Swimming World Cup 2026?
It is at Barys Arena Pool in Astana, Kazakhstan.
How many stops are there in the 2026 Swimming World Cup?
There are three: Baku (1-3 October), Tashkent (8-10 October), and Astana (15-17 October).
What time are the Astana finals in the US, UK and Australia?
Finals start at 9:00 a.m. ET and 2:00 p.m. UK time. In eastern Australia, they start at midnight, which falls on the next calendar day.
How can I watch World Cup Swimming 2026?
In the US, all three stops stream live on Peacock. In other countries, check the World Aquatics "Where to Watch" page. The World Aquatics Recast channel covers markets without a broadcast partner.
Who leads the World Cup standings?
After day 2 in Tashkent, Egor Kornev leads the men with 113.7 points and Marrit Steenbergen leads the women with 116.3 points. Day 3 in Tashkent will change these totals.
How much prize money is available?
The series prize pool is USD 1.2 million, excluding bonuses. A world record and a crown-winning performance each earn USD 10,000.
Which pool is used in Astana?
Racing is in a 25m short course pool with 10 lanes. Swimmers warm up in a 6-lane training pool.