Beijing to host World Aquatics short-course championships

Beijing has been confirmed as the host city for the 2026 World Aquatics Short-Course Swimming Championships following a decision by the World Aquatics Bureau.

The announcement was made during the World Aquatics General Congress in Singapore, held alongside the ongoing World Aquatics Championships.

More than 1,000 elite swimmers from over 200 countries and regions are expected to compete in the Chinese capital over six days in late 2026.

Beijing, known for its extensive experience in hosting major international sporting events, was selected after a competitive bidding process, World Aquatics said.

"Beijing has demonstrated, time and again, its capacity to deliver world-class events across all aquatic disciplines," said World Aquatics president Husain Al Musallam. "We are confident that this tradition of excellence will continue in 2026."

Beijing has previously hosted 38 World Aquatics events and is also set to stage the full-scale World Aquatics Championships in 2029, which will include open water swimming and high diving, in addition to the five core disciplines.

This will be the third time China has hosted the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m), following Shanghai in 2006 and Hangzhou in 2018.

Chinese Swimming Association president Zhou Jihong welcomed the decision. "We are thrilled and deeply honored to host this prestigious championship in Beijing, a city with a strong Olympic legacy and enduring passion for aquatic sports," said Zhou. "This is an important opportunity to showcase the talents of the world's best swimmers, and we will work tirelessly to ensure a world-class experience for athletes, officials and fans, alike."

Among those anticipating the event is Chinese Olympic champion and men's 100m freestyle long-course world record-holder Pan Zhanle.

"I can't wait to compete in front of a home crowd," said Pan.

"The short-course championships bring a unique intensity and excitement. I hope to make history in Beijing and inspire the next generation of swimmers."

With the successful bid, China further strengthens its role as a major contributor to the global aquatics community, having hosted more than 100 World Aquatics events to date, the federation said.

Diving dominance

China added two more gold medals to its diving tally at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Tuesday.

Chen Yiwen and Chen Jia, a newly formed pair, captured gold in the women's synchronized 3m springboard with 325.20 points. Scarlett Mew Jensen and Yasmin Harper of Britain earned silver with 298.35, while 14-year-old twins Lia and Mia Cueva Lobato of Mexico took the bronze.

"Today wasn't about standout dives, but everything went quite smoothly. We delivered what we had been doing in training," said Chen Yiwen, who claimed her fourth consecutive world title in the event.

The men's synchronized 10m platform final proved far more dramatic. Young Chinese pair Cheng Zilong and Zhu Zifeng suffered a major setback in the fourth round after a flawed execution of their 307C (a reverse three-and-half somersault) dive, dropping from first to third and trailing the leaders by over 20 points.

However, the duo showed remarkable composure in the final two rounds, producing a high-quality closing dive that earned them a total of 429.63 points, edging out their nearest rivals by just 0.93 points to secure the gold.

Neutral athletes Ruslan Ternovoi and Nikita Shleikher claimed silver, while the American pair of Joshua Hedberg and Carson Tyler got bronze.

Cheng attributed their comeback to mutual trust. "In the last two rounds, we encouraged each other. I had full confidence in my partner. I knew he could deliver the way he does in training, and we both focused on doing our part," he said

Xinhua