Shenzhen to host star-studded 2026 China Swimming Open

The 2026 China Swimming Open and National Spring Swimming Championships will be held in Shenzhen in March, with a star-studded entry list that includes international high-profile swimming superstars such as Thomas Ceccon of Italy, Regan Smith of the U.S. and Australia’s Cameron McEvoy.

The four-day event follows the successful 2025 National Swimming Championships and last year’s 15th National Games. It will be held at the Longgang Universiade Center Natatorium from March 19 to 22.

Swimmers compete in the women’s 50m freestyle final during the 15th National Games at the Longgang Universiade Center Natatorium in Shenzhen on Nov. 17, 2025. Xinhua

The swimming event is organized by the Swimming Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and the China Swimming Association. It will bring China’s leading swimmers and emerging talents, many of whom rose to prominence at last year’s National Games into competition with 17 Olympic and World Championship medalists comfrimed to participate.

The organizers said that the lineup will bring two generations of elite swimmers together on the same deck, promising compelling showdowns for fans and valuable head-to-head experience for domestic competitors.

As a newly established international sports event, the China Swimming Open will feature a prize purse described by the organizers as the largest in the history of domestic swimming competitions, although the exact amount has not been disclosed. The expanded incentives and global positioning are intended to attract top talents worldwide, and strengthen sporting exchanges, said the organizers.

The meet also serves as the National Spring Swimming Championships, which assess winter training results and prepare Chinese athletes for the Los Angeles Olympics cycle.

Local authorities said the event will not only showcase Shenzhen’s capacity to host top-tier international sporting events, but also deepen public engagement with swimming and further integrate sport into urban life. The Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports, the Longgang District Government and the Shenzhen Professional Sports Management Center are among the local hosts supporting the championships.