"VAN" (Sports Desk - 11.11.2026) :: With the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) 2026 set to begin in Beijing in three weeks' time, World Aquatics has revealed the athletes confirmed to participate via the newly-launched Wild Card Programme. Introduced at this year's Swimming World Cup to provide an additional opportunity for top performers across the Silk Road Tour to advance to December's marquee event, 34 athletes from 18 different countries are heading to Beijing with their confirmed Wild Card place. Isaac COOPER (AUS) Cameron MCEVOY (AUS) Florine GASPARD (BEL) Lucas Pierre A HENVEAUX (BEL) Roos VANOTTERDIJK (BEL) Grigori PEKARSKI (BLR) Finlay KNOX (CAN) Taylor RUCK (CAN) Blake TIERNEY (CAN) Juner CHEN (CHN) Yiting YU (CHN) Jan CEJKA (CZE) Laura LAHTINEN (FIN) Freya Constance COLBERT (GBR) Abbie WOOD (GBR) Siobhan HAUGHEY (HKG) Alberto RAZZETTI (ITA) Waka KOBORI (JPN) So OGATA (JPN) Caspar CORBEAU (NED) Sean NIEWOLD (NED) Marrit STEENBERGEN (NED) Caitlin DEANS (NZL) Matthew CALDWELL (RSA) Pieter COETZE (RSA) Michael HOULIE (RSA) Ilia BORODIN (RUS) Egor KORNEV (RUS) Kirill PRIGODA (RUS) Ching Hwee GAN (SGP) Tzen Wei TEONG (SGP) Sara JUNEVIK (SWE) Luke BARR (USA) Anna PEPLOWSKI (USA) Athletes earned their Wild Card places through the three-stop Swimming World Cup 2026 by finishing in the top three of an individual event final while achieving the World Aquatics A qualifying standard, participating in at least two of the stops. Member Federations were eligible to qualify up to three additional athletes through this programme.
On Wed, Nov 11, 2026