World Aquatics has confirmed its announcement to media in Singapore at the 2025 World Championships that Berlin, London and Paris will host a long-course edition of the World Cup in autumn 2027 in a European series linked to Olympic qualification in 50m sprint events.

Confirmation in statements released a moment ago by World Aquatics and the national federations that will host the Cup events next year, included the following dates for your diary:

• Berlin: October 15-17, 2027 - Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark
• Paris: October 22-24, 2027 - Olympic Aquatics Center
• London: October 29-31 2027 - London Aquatics Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

The sprint-event bonus attraction added to the Cup means that fans in each city may get to see their heroes, and even title hopes such as Adam Peaty in London, and Maxime Grousset in Paris, grab some of the first Olympic selection tickets to be had anywhere in the world for the swimming events scheduled to take place in a 38,000 seater venue in Los Angeles in summer 2028.

Olympic qualification in swimming is the jurisdiction of National Olympic Committees and national selectors, each nation able to use World Aquatics A and B target times as part of their selection policies.

The World Cup series, organised in short-course pools for all-but the pre-Olympic season, has struggled to attract more than a small percentage of the best swimmers in the world for many a long year, with genuine world-best line-ups across finals few and far between.

This year's 'Silk Road' Cup was also affected by World Aquatics' decision to remove the neutral status of Russians and allow the use of the coupon try code and emblems for swimmers of that nation. One of the consequences was the complete absence of any Ukrainian athletes, highlighting the political risks at the interface of sport at at time when the current politics of current presidents Russian and American are among the things that pose a serious threat of mass Olympic boycott:

Does Your World Cup Swimmeth Over Or Is Nothing Left In The Tank?

The World Cup is three years shy of its 50th birthday. Is it time for a face lift? And would you rely on any 'swimfluencer' to grow your sport? Caveat Emptor

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

For 2027, World Aquatics has provided a touch more inventive, at least for pure sprinters, by linking the European Cup tour directly to specific LA2028 Olympic qualification in 2027.

Olympic qualification will be up for grabs in the 50m butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke events, which will join the Olympic program for the first time in Los Angeles the following year. The 50m freestyle was added at Seoul 1988 but after 40 years, the stroke sprints will finally join the dash party.

World Aquatics confirmed today what it told a round-robin of journalists at Singapore 2025 world titles, namely:

A total of six events at the Swimming World Cup 2027 will provide an opportunity for direct qualification to LA28. 

• Men’s 50m Backstroke and Women’s 50m Butterfly qualifiers will be determined at Stop 1 in Berlin - for the hosts, eg - all eyes on Ole Braunschweig and Angelina Köhler
• Men’s 50m Butterfly and Women’s 50m Breaststroke qualifiers will be determined at Stop 2 in Paris - eg - all eyes on Maxime Grousset
•  Men’s 50m Breaststroke and Women’s 50m Backstroke qualifiers will be determined at Stop 3 in London - eg - all eyes on Adam Peaty and Lauren Cox

By dividing the spoils up by event, each of the 2027 Cup stops is guaranteed to benefit when the entries come in.

World Aquatics explains:

To determine the athletes that will be advancing to LA28 at each stop, preliminary heats will be held on the morning of day one, followed by quarter-finals that evening. Semi-finals will take place during the evening sessions of day two, before the third and final day of each stop will stage eight-lane finals, where the top six finishers will secure their spot at LA28.

As said, each nation's Olympic Committee, has jurisdiction over the selection of athletes for the Games, and making the cut at the World Cup is not a guarantee of selection. For example, if a nation opts to select 20 swimmers based on world ranking and proximity to podium chances, a 50m swimmer who makes the international qualification criteria but sits outside those top 20 can be left at home.

That remains the position, unless World Aquatics explains that those 50m events will be treated as wild-card selections by the international federation,. something that would set precedent in modern Olympic history.

Another complication is the one that exists in the United States, the host country: if a 50m swimmer wins their event inside an A qualification time for LA at the World Cup but gets beaten into third or worse at traditional U.S. Olympic trials, where the best two in every event earn selection, he or she would have to be treated differently to all other swimmers to retain the qualification earned under international rules at the 2027 Cup. Unless, there is an explanation as to why that would not be the case.

So far, those issues are not clear.

Meanwhile, the incentive is real when.it comes to showing up and swimming those 50m events perhaps faster than they've ever been swum before at the Cup event - and fans can already register their interest in purchasing tickets for the event via THIS FORM.

Reflecting on the announcement, World Aquatics president Husain Al Musallam, said of the three European capital cities:

"Each city has an outstanding sporting pedigree and Olympic heritage and therefore offers a fitting stage to determine the qualifiers for 50m events newly-introduced onto the Olympic programme for LA28."

Jan Pommer, CEO of the German Swimming Federation (DSV), noted:

“We are immensely proud of our reputation for delivering outstanding aquatics events, and the return of the competition to Berlin is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the very best of international swimming. We are thrilled to be part of this landmark edition alongside Paris and London, and look forward to hosting an unforgettable edition for athletes and fans alike."

President of the French Swimming Federation, Gilles Sezionale, added:

“We are delighted to welcome the Swimming World Cup to Paris in 2027. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games and, more recently, the 2026 European Aquatics Championships were resounding successes for athletes and fans alike, and the Olympic Aquatics Center - Greater Paris Metropolis will once again provide an outstanding stage for this world-class competition."

Karen Webb Moss, Chair of Aquatics GB, added:

“Great Britain has a proud history of hosting some of the most memorable events in the sport. We are thrilled to welcome the Swimming World Cup and top-class international swimming back to the London Aquatics Centre."

She added that Britain was "excited to be part of this next chapter" in World Cup history, with the prospect of LA28 Olympic qualification adding another compelling dimension to what promises to be a fantastic finale to the 2027 series.”

Host City Impact View 

Esther Britten, of UK Sport, said: “The return of a major international swimming event to the UK is great news for the sport and for fans. We’re delighted to have supported Aquatics GB and partners in securing the Swimming World Cup for London, adding another world-class event to the UK’s sporting calendar.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London is the sporting capital of the world, and I’m delighted we’ll be hosting the final leg of the prestigious World Aquatics Swimming World Cup ... Hosting world-leading sporting events is an important part of our work to boost the capital’s economy and to build a better and more prosperous London for everyone.”

Mark Camley, Executive Director of Estate and Neighbourhoods, London Legacy Development Corporation, commented: “For many young people who were too young to experience the 2012 Games, seeing Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park once again in the global spotlight can be a source of inspiration. It’s fantastic to welcome the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup to the London Aquatics Centre, with athletes competing for places at LA28 in a venue that continues to embody the lasting legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Mark Basker, Regional Contract Manager for Everyone Active – the London Aquatics Centre venue operator, added: “London Aquatics Centre is one of the world’s most recognisable swimming venues, and we are delighted it will host the final leg of the 2027 Swimming World Cup. Our team at the centre has extensive experience of delivering a first-class experience for athletes, officials and spectators, and we are looking forward to working closely with Aquatics GB and World Aquatics to make this a standout finale to the series. With Olympic qualification on the line, the atmosphere is going to be incredible.”