World Records and powerful legacies: Tashkent feels the force of the Silk Road Tour

—- Building on the momentum generated at the first stop in Baku, Tashkent delivered world-record performances and dramatic racing as the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2026 rumbled along on the Silk Road Tour.

In what was the city’s first World Aquatics swimming event, the Palace of Water Sports in Tashkent’s Olympic City complex provided the perfect platform to showcase the country’s sporting ambitions, inspire local athletes and bring swimming to new audiences.

Records that raised the bar
Among a host of standout performances, Russia’s Egor Kornev produced one of the defining swims of the stop, setting a World Record of 21.28 in the men’s 50m Butterfly.

The Russian’s ongoing duels with Australia’s Cameron McEvoy has captured the attention of the swimming world, and the latter’s storming victory in the men’s 50m Freestyle at 20.13 established a new World Cup record and moved him to second on the all-time list, bringing the elusive sub-20-second swim even closer.

South Africa’s Pieter Coetze also made history in Tashkent, breaking the World Record in the men’s 50m Backstroke in 22.09. The 22-year-old came close to another global mark in the 100m Backstroke, finishing in 48.21, just five hundredths of a second outside the World Record.

Tashkent embraces its first World Aquatics swimming event
For the city, hosting a World Aquatics Swimming World Cup represented a significant milestone. Crowds came out in force, bringing energy to the stands and creating a memorable atmosphere.

Russia’s Evgeniia Chikunova, who won the women’s 200m Breaststroke, was impressed by the noise from the stands.

“I don’t know, honestly, the race was not like it is normally. I heard the tribunes so well. So loud,” she said. “It was a really nice race. I love this.”

Roos Vanotterdijk, meanwhile, delivered another standout performance by winning the women’s 100m Butterfly in 55.20, setting a Belgian national record. The 21-year-old was also struck by the venue and the investment in swimming in Uzbekistan.

“It’s amazing. I don’t think we have anything like this in Belgium, and that makes me kind of angry!” she said. “But it’s great to see swimming taking big steps forward all over the world and to have athletes come here to visit and race. That is amazing.”

Coetze was also effusive in his praise of the facilities.

“The facilities are so good. It’s really, really world class, and I was telling this other guy today that they could actually hold the World Champs at this venue, definitely. And I’m a bit biased, but it’s become one of my favourites that I have swum in.”

Beyond the pool

Between races, World Aquatics gave selected athletes the opportunity to explore Tashkent and discover Uzbek traditions, including a tour of Chorsu Bazaar.

Belgium’s Lucas Henveaux has embraced the full tour experience. After racing across a wide range of distances, he praised both the competition and the opportunity to discover the host city.

“I have really enjoyed it. World Aquatics took us on a tour on Tuesday. We visited some amazing, amazing places and tasted some great food. So I have really loved my time here,” he said.

“I’ve never participated in the whole tour. So, yeah, I’m really enjoying it. I got to make a bunch of new friends and race them in events…I’ve gone down from 200 all the way to the 50. So it’s really tested every part of my swimming. But I’ve loved it and I’d love to come back.”

Marrit Steenbergen agreed that the opportunity to see the city makes a big difference in between the training “Every Monday we have an experience, so I get to see something of the country. That’s really cool.”

Inspiring the next generation

Perhaps the most lasting opportunity created by the competition lies in its potential impact on swimming within Uzbekistan and the wider region. There were 34 athletes from Uzbekistan representing their federation and 16 athletes from local clubs from Uzbekistan. 45 Technical Officials were from Uzbekistan officiating at the competition.

Seeing world records broken in person, experiencing the intensity of international racing and witnessing the dedication required to perform at the top level has helped young athletes imagine their own futures in the pool.

No one feels the impact of the event more than Uzbekistan’s bronze medallist in the 800m Freestyle, Ilia Sibirtsev, who highlighted the importance of making swimming more visible to younger generations.

When asked about the legacy of the event – he responded, “Just to show young generations that, hey, there’s swimming over here, not only soccer, you know, other sports. So come swim!”

The Silk Road Tour has also provided an opportunity for athletes to engage with budding swimming communities through swim clinics and meet and greets, with more than 60 local children benefitting from the experience of learning and meeting elite racers in the Uzbekistan capital and 25 taking part in the Swim Clinic.

Steenbergen noted the importance and benefits it brings to the athletes:

“It’s so much fun to give back to the people, especially when you’re in a country like this. I mean, not a lot of people swim here, so it’s fun to give something back while they’re having us here.”

With the Tashkent stop complete, attention now turns to Astana, Kazakhstan, from 15–17 October.

Follow all the action across World Aquatics’ website and social media platforms, and find out Where to Watch the remaining stops here.

Media covering the Silk Road Tour can find the latest rights-free content from each stop on the World Aquatics MEDIA POOL.

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