2026 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships

The 2026 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships (sponsored by Speedo) are being held at the London Aquatics Centre in London, from 14 April to 21 April 2026. They were organised by Aquatics GB, formerly British Swimming and are the third edition of the event to be held under the new name.^[1]

As there are neither Olympic Games nor World Championships in the even numbered non-Olympic years, the event also acts as the main qualification event for the Great Britain team for the 2026 European Aquatics Championships in Paris. The top two finishers in each race, if they meet the qualification time are automatically selected for Paris (from a possible four berths per event).

Additionally, the event is also the main qualification event for the England, Scotland and Wales teams at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Anyone meeting the qualification time for the European Championships will automatically meet their nations standard for the Commonwealth Games.

For Northern Ireland swimmers it is one of two such Commonwealth Games qualification events, along with the 2026 Irish Open Swimming Championships, in recognition of the fact that Northern Ireland swimmers can represent either Great Britain or Ireland at European and Olympic level, but will represent Northern Ireland together at the Commonwealth Games. While the event is also open to swimmers from the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, who are eligible for the Great Britain team, it is not a direct qualification event for those nations at Commonwealth level.

In addition, aggregated times of the top four swimmers in a relay event could qualify a swimmer via a relay slot at the European Championships.

All 2025 World medallists also had automatic qualification in their event. The sprinter Ben Proud, having left 'traditional' swimming to join the controversial Enhanced Games, was ineligible, so the only medallists eligible were the World gold medal winning 4 x 200 freestyle relay team of James Guy, Jack McMillan, Matt Richards, Duncan Scott, Evan Jones and Tom Dean^[2]. In the event, the top four swimmers in the 200m freestyle matched he four final swimmers from the 2025 World final, and combined for a qualification time.