2026 CHINA SWIMMING OPEN & NATIONAL SPRING SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- March 19th – March 22nd
- Longgang Universiade Center Natatorium
- LCM (50m)
As reported earlier this month, many big names are heading to Shenzen, China, in March to compete at the China Open. The meet has now confirmed over a dozen international Olympic medalists from the USA, Australia, and Europe. See full list below:
- Jack Alexy
- Regan Smith
- Kate Douglass
- Alex Walsh
- Gretchen Walsh
- Kyle Chalmers
- Cam McEvoy
- Mollie O’Callaghan
- Lani Pallister
- Lukas Martens
- Noe Ponti
- Thomas Ceccon
- Siobhan Haughey
- Pieter Coetze
- Arno Kamminga
- Nicolo Martinenghi
- Kliment Kolesnikov
That is in addition to top domestic talent competing at the meet, including world record holder Pan Zhanle and teenage sensation Yu Zidi. We wouldn’t see quite so many foreign athletes make the haul to China for what seems to be a fairly standard in-season meet in March, but China has decided to sweeten the pot. Big time.
These international Olympic medalists are receiving massive appearance fees of up to $20,000, plus getting flights and hotels paid for. On top of that, once they actually start competing, the prize payouts are $10,000 for 1st place in each race, $8,000 for 2nd, and $6,000 for 3rd. To put that into context, at the US Pro Swim Series, athletes get $1,500, $1,000, and $500 for the same placement.
Not only is the money great for swimming, but the timing makes a lot of sense for many professional swimmers around the world. In the USA, many pros who are based on college campuses aren’t getting very much attention in March as their coaches are focused on the NCAA Championships. For other pros internationally, the LCM season is just kicking off and it’s a good time to travel abroad and get race reps in. Plus, many athletes will use this as a test run for the 2026 Short Course World Championships, which will be held in Beijing in December.
Through actual business strategy, China will eventually grow the sport of swimming for the entire world to watch major events in great venues. The U.S. strategy behind the sport is always: “The Road to… 2028 – 2032 – 2036 – 2040” – Sorry
The last sentence hurts me to my core (because it’s the truest thing I’ve ever seen).
China Swim Association had a bold try, of its good will, to replace an annual Spring Championship with an international Open, offering a huge prize money pool for participants only to divert swim fans here to juxtapose capitalism and communism, as totally is a drift…..
WE ALL CHINAMAXXING in the big 26
Yea cHINER please give me some money to come to your oppressive communist country where you can propagandize that American athletes are bought and sell out their country for a pittance. Wow, even though I am a young liberal, it does not matter that cHINER has no social conscience and oppresses people, limits families to one kid, free speech nada and incarcerates/murders 10,000 of thousands of citizens with no due process. I will wear RED/WHITE and BLUE when it is only convenient on the outside. I need the money and it will be fun to see another culture (what they will show an American). Just do not bog my brain down with stuff like conscience, values or patriotism. Yea sure… Read more »
This kinda reminds me of the the USA business who supported cHINer by having their clothing and shoes manufactured in cHINer. While it was good for cHINer and profitable for the USA businesses, it undercut our economy.
Oh well it is all about making moola, promoting self over any real honest patriotism.
Why go over to our greatest world enemy and feed their propaganda machine?
People just can not handle the truth cause our swammers get some recognition and money.
Glad the real patriotic Americans say – Phoey and chop suey to you cOMMUNIST cHINer which stomps of human rights.
Found a racist
You say racist, I say PATRIOT.
Invest in a dictionary and attempt to stand up for human values if you have a backbone. .
For those who were asking about the sponsors of this event, I just found this poster on Weibo listing all of them.
It looks like the main sponsor of the event is “Zhou Liu Fu” which is a China-based luxury jewelry retailer and manufacturer headquartered in Shenzhen.
Other 2 strategic partners mentioned are:
Anta ( Chinese sports equipment multinational corporation )
+ Nongfu Spring ( China’s largest bottled water and leading beverage supplier ).
Can’t wait for these group of swimmers to clock times that destroy Enhanced Games swim times.
Bravo, China!