The World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup 2026 concluded in fitting fashion over the weekend in Setubal, with European swimmers dominating the final weekend of racing as Germany’s Oliver Klemet stormed to victory in the men’s 3km knockout sprint and Hungary’s David Betlehem secured the overall men’s World Cup title.
The final stop of the four-leg series once again highlighted Europe’s strength in depth across open water swimming, with the continent’s athletes occupying the leading positions in both the individual races and the season-long standings.
Klemet saved his best performance for the final event of the campaign, producing a commanding display in the men’s 3km Knockout Sprint. The German Olympic silver medallist took control of the race from the outset, dictating the pace and pulling clear in the decisive 500m segment to claim gold by more than four seconds. It was a timely return to form after an interrupted start to the season due to injury and followed victories in the previous two World Cup rounds.
Behind him, two of Europe’s most experienced open water stars rounded out the podium. Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri claimed silver after producing the strongest response to Klemet’s decisive move, while France’s Marc-Antoine Olivier added bronze to the medal he had already secured in the 10km a day earlier.
Just outside the podium, Betlehem finished fourth, narrowly missing another medal but doing more than enough to secure the overall men’s World Cup title. Italy’s Andrea Filadelli and Dario Verani completed an all-European top six in the final race of the season, underlining the continent’s dominance of the discipline.
For Betlehem, the weekend represented the culmination of a superb and consistent World Cup campaign. The Hungarian entered Setubal leading the standings and held his nerve during the 10km showdown to officially clinch the overall title, becoming the 2026 men’s World Cup champion.
France’s Olivier and compatriot Sacha Velly completed the top three in the overall rankings after strong campaigns across all four stops.
The women’s competition belonged to Australia’s Moesha Johnson, who completed a remarkable clean sweep of the World Cup series, winning all four races she contested and sealing the overall title in emphatic fashion.
However, European athletes continued to challenge strongly behind the dominant Australian throughout the season and in Setúbal itself. The final stop once again showcased the strength of Europe’s open water programme, with established names and emerging talents alike consistently featuring at the sharp end of the racing.
Headline efforts in that regard came from Hungary’s Bettina Fabian and Viktoria Mihalyvari-Farkas, who took respective silver and bronze in a hard-fought women’s 10km race.
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Stephen Stanley for European Aquatics
