The 2026 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup is underway at the Baku Aquatic Palace, where 216 swimmers from 44 countries are competing from October 1 to 3. The competition is the first World Aquatics event held in Azerbaijan. The host nation has entered 15 swimmers, who will compete alongside Olympic medallists, world champions and world-record holders.
Baku is also the first stop of this year's three-stage Silk Road Tour. The series will continue in Tashkent from October 8 to 10 before concluding in Astana from October 15 to 17. City of Winds Enters the World Aquatics Calendar The Baku Aquatic Palace already has experience of major international competitions.
It hosted swimming at the 2015 European Games and the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games. The World Cup brings another level of competition to the venue. Australia's Cameron McEvoy, China's Qin Haiyang, Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey, the Netherlands' Marrit Steenbergen and Poland's Katarzyna Wasick are among the leading swimmers competing in Baku.
McEvoy won the men's 50m freestyle at the Paris 2024 Olympics and holds the world record in the event. Qin was the overall winner of the 2023 Swimming World Cup. Haughey is a four-time Olympic medallist.
Steenbergen holds the women's 100m freestyle world record, while Wasick is seeking a third consecutive Triple Crown in the 50m freestyle. Azerbaijan's team includes Ramil Valizade, Abdurrahman Rustamov, Said Hamidov, Suleyman Ismayilzade, Oktay Huseynov, Farhad Shirmammadli, Ramal Sadigli, Amin Orujlu, Fatima Alkaramova, Maryam Javadova, Anastasia Boborykina, Anastasia Gnusina, Mehri Abdurrahmanli, Vlastilina Khazyanova and Yegor Maynitski. For the local swimmers, the competition offers a rare chance to face athletes of this level without leaving Azerbaijan.
The World Cup programme has also included a swimming clinic for young athletes. Olympic medallists Carson Foster, Siobhan Haughey and Marrit Steenbergen worked with swimmers aged 11 to 15 from local sports schools and regional clubs. The session was organised through the World Aquatics Athletes' Experience programme.
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