A return to North America for the swimming World Cup events is in the works for 2025 and beyond.
USA Swimming and Swimming Canada have both confirmed they are currently in talks with World Aquatics to host at least one World Cup event apiece in 2025, though nothing has been finalized.
USA Swimming also included a note about a slight increase in its expenses budget this year due to the potential addition of a World Cup event.
There are rumblings that World Aquatics is seeking a 3-4 year commitment from the two national governing bodies, with an appetite to host World Cup events in North America in the lead-up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
In 2022, the World Cup series returned to North America for the first time in 16 years, with Toronto hosting the first Canadian leg of the series since 1999 at the end of October. The following week, Indianapolis played host to the first American stop on the circuit since New York hosted in 2006.
As a result of the series making a rare appearance in North America, several American and Canadian swimmers we don’t typically see on the circuit delivered some incredible performances. That included Katie Ledecky breaking the world record in the women’s 800 and 1500 freestyle (SCM), and both Summer McIntosh and Bella Sims setting new World Junior Records.
In 2022, the first leg of the series was held in Berlin, Germany before shifting to North America. This led to a relatively small number of swimmers racing all three legs of the series. It’s unknown if World Aquatics is looking at including an overseas leg (or multiple) along with the events in Canada and the U.S.
In the last two years, the World Cup events have been based in the same continent. In 2023, it was held entirely in Europe (Berlin, Athens, Budapest), and in 2024, they were held entirely in Asia (Shanghai, Incheon, Singapore).
The World Cup events are typically held from mid-to-late October through early November in short course meters, with the format shifting to long course in pre-Olympic years.
Last year, France’s Leon Marchand and American Kate Douglass won the overall series titles.
OH PLEASE COME TO CANADA
I find that alternating between different continents each year would be the best solution with three stops at each time. Everybody will be happy to host WA events and receive the best swimmers in the world.
2022: Americas
2023 : Europe (LCM)
2024 : Asia
2025 : Americas
2026 : Europe
2027 : Asia (LCM)
Toronto
UBC/ Vancouver
Atlanta
Indy
Greensboro
Federal Way
College Park MD?
East Meadow NY?
Huntsville AL?
Ocala FL?
Orlando FL?
San Antonio (indoor)?
P4 D1 schools with capable facilities (UT, Minn, OSU, TAMU, Tenn) probably unlikely to host. Threw GT in there because they’ve been willing and able to do stuff like this recently and it’s the 96 Olympic Pool
I suspect it would just be Indy…but we’ll see.
Georgia Tech is probably the next-most-interesting on the list because of the Olympic pool and the buildup to 2028…
Anything on the West coast worth considering?
Irvine or Stanford, but IDK doesn’t seem like anyone wants to do anything outdoors anymore.
Oh yea, Ocala and Huntsville really screams international swimming and will get people excited……
Indianapolis is both of those places but with a better PR team and infrastructure to host sporting events. Indianapolis is a soulless, cold city with no culture outside of hosting massive events
Could also be Montreal
Good shout, would love this
Which pool in Montreal though? Is the Olympics pool still out of commission?
Heard it’s reopening in the next month
I completely forgot about the fire!! Was thinking trials were in Montreal 🫣 but they’re in Victoria
Let’s manifest East Meadow so I can go
Fort Lauderdale would be nice
As a Vancouver-ite would love to see it in my backyard. However UBC pool extremely limited for this kind of event. Zajac ‘works’ barely, largely as it’s Long Course with the one side limited viewing. Victoria still the best National/higher competition pool in the province even with its limitations, especially for a SC version of the World Cup is that. BC hurting for elite (inter) National pool options. UBC build badly missed the mark unfortunately.
Well said. Canada is very short on long-course pools. Toronto basically has 2 viable facilities (TPASC & Markham Pan Am), Montreal is in dire need of a modern facility to back up the ‘76 Olympic venue (fire was devastating and exposed a total lack of a quality redundant site for a Trials quality meet). UBC pool is fabulous. No seating and it’s built as a “leisure centre”. And, sadly, Canada’s population distribution being what it is- 70% of folks living in 3 cities, Edmonton (Kinsmen) while it might make for a decent facility, means 70% of swimmers all must take flights to get there (and then you need another plane to take you from the airport to the actual city!).