International Swimming Federation: Beijing 2026 World Swimming Championships prize money exceeds $2 million

The International Swimming Federation (FINA) announced the financial prize structure for this year’s World Aquatics Championships, to be held in Beijing.

In a statement released on its official website on Wednesday, FINA specified that a total of $2,025,000 in prize money will be awarded to the top swimmers in individual and relay events at the championships, scheduled for December next year.

The statement clarified that the prize money will be distributed equally between men and women, across both individual and relay races, with awards given to finishers from first to eighth place.

It further stated that each winner of an individual or relay event will receive $10,000, while the second-place finisher will earn $8,000, and the eighth-place finisher will receive $2,000.

Additionally, a bonus of $25,000 will be awarded to any swimmer who sets a new world record at the championships, in addition to the standard prize money.

The financial awards will be disbursed to the national federations that are members of FINA, following verification of all results related to anti-doping tests.

Last year, in 2025, FINA distributed $10.7 million in prize money across all its competitions, including $6.1 million for the World Championships held in Singapore.