More than 300 swimmers from 39 countries are competing in Astana for the final leg of the 2026 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup. This is Kazakhstan’s first time hosting an event in the series, which will determine the overall men’s and women’s World Cup winners.
The competition is taking place from October 15 to 17 at Barys Arena, concluding the three-stage Silk Road series, which began in Baku and continued in Tashkent.
The World Cup is organized by World Aquatics, the international governing body for aquatic sports. Unlike the Olympic Games, swimmers compete in a 25- rather than a 50-meter pool, meaning races involve more turns.
Competitors, whose ranks include Olympic and world champions, are vying for medals in freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, and backstroke events over distances ranging from 50 to 1,500 meters. There are also individual medley and relay events. Athletes are also competing for overall standings points accumulated across the series’ three legs. The series carries a $1.2 million prize fund.
On the opening day, October 15, two Kazakh swimmers set national records. Aibat Myrzamuratov completed the men’s 50-meter breaststroke in 26.50 seconds, while Sofia Spodarenko broke her own record in the women’s 50-meter butterfly.
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Yerbol Myrzabossynov, stressed the tournament’s significance for local swimmers, who have an opportunity to compete against some of the world’s leading athletes on home soil. Kazakhstan has entered 22 swimmers in the competition.
Kazakhstan is expanding its calendar of international sporting events. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the country expects to host seven world championships across various disciplines in 2026 and 2027. These include the World Wrestling Championships, which will take place at Barys Arena from October 24 to November 1.
