World Aquatics announced that the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) - Beijing 2026 will be held from December 1 to 6, 2026, in the Chinese capital.

Tang Qianting (front) of China competes during the women's 100m breaststroke final at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest, Hungary, Dec. 12, 2024. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

The Championships, cooperated with the China Swimming Association and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, will bring together over 1,000 elite athletes from more than 200 countries and regions for six days of short-course swimming.

This marks the fourth time China hosts the Championships, following previous editions in Hong Kong in 1999, Shanghai in 2006 and Hangzhou in 2018.

"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 1-6 December 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," said the president.

The last edition of the short course worlds was held in 2024 in Budapest, where a total of 985 athletes from 195 countries and regions participated in 45 medal events, breaking 30 world records, 13 world junior records, 46 championship records, and 63 continental records.