Christchurch Ready for Five Days of National Short Course Racing
Competition Preview - 2026 NZ Short Course Swimming Championships
It has been 16 years since a national swimming championships were last held in Christchurch. That changes on Sunday, when the 2026 New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships get underway at Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre.
Almost 700 swimmers from 79 clubs are set to compete in the five-day championships, running from 27 September to 1 October. The competition will mark the first time Christchurch has hosted a major Swimming New Zealand competition since 2010 and the first national swimming championships in the city since the 2011 earthquakes.
Swimming New Zealand CEO Steve Johns said bringing a national championship back to Christchurch was a significant moment for the sport.
"It’s fantastic to be returning to Christchurch for a national championship after such a long time away," Johns said. "Canterbury has a proud swimming history and has produced some outstanding athletes, so it feels special to be bringing our swimmers from across the country together here again."
Excitement is building ahead of five days of national championship racing at Parakiore, with Johns eager to see the new facility welcome competitors and fans.
"Parakiore is an outstanding new facility and we’re really looking forward to seeing it come alive with national championship racing over five days."
Among those set to compete is Christchurch local Paralympian and Aquablack Lili-Fox Mason, who will be part of a strong field of swimmers taking to the new pool.
"I’m really excited for these championships as we will have some of the best athletes in New Zealand competing," said Mason. "This is an exciting time for Christchurch and the swimmers of Christchurch as we celebrate this incredible facility we now have."
Racing at a national championships in front of a home crowd for the first time, Mason looks at this competition as a stepping-stone to her 2027 goals.
"This competition will be a great checkpoint to see where I am at before a big training block ahead of New Zealand Swimming Championships in May next year, where I hope to qualify to represent New Zealand again at the Para World Swimming Championships."
The championships will also provide an important international opportunity, with swimmers able to chase qualification for the 2026 World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m), being held in Beijing from 1–6 December.
Other leading swimmers entered include three-time Paralympic champion Cameron Leslie MNZM, 2025 World Junior Champion Zoe Pedersen, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Milana Tapper, and Aquablacks Savannah-Eve Martin, Amber George, Asher Smith-Franklin, and Louis Clark.
There will also be a strong local presence in the pool, with Christchurch clubs well represented across the championships. Wharenui Swim Club alone has more than 230 individual entries across the five days of racing.
Age-group timed finals will take place during the morning sessions, beginning at 8.30am each day, before the country’s leading swimmers race in the open finals from 5pm each evening.
The 2026 New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships are supported by competition partners Christchurch City Council and China Eastern.
Key Details
Heats will be held from 8:30am each morning, with finals held in the evening from 5pm. All sessions of the championships will be streamed on the Swimming NZ Vidzing channel.
You can purchase full livestream access to all five days of racing for $24.95, or alternatively pay $5.00 for an individual session pass.
Dates: 27 September – 1 October
Location: Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre, Christchurch
Heats Start: 8.25am (livestream), 8:30am (racing)
Finals Start: 4.50pm (livestream), 5pm (racing)
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