International Swimming League targets 2026 relaunch after Covid-19, war disruptions

GENEVA – The International Swimming League (ISL) plans to relaunch as soon as 2026 after a four-season hiatus, betting that a reshaped commercial model, stable backing and momentum from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics can sustain a global, team-based competition in one of the Games’ marquee sports.

The ISL was launched in 2019 with the goal of keeping swimming fans engaged beyond the Olympics by creating a season-long league with regular meets.

It previously featured some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Caeleb Dressel, Adam Peaty and Katinka Hosszu. 

The ISL last staged a season in 2021. The 2022 season was cancelled after being hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine on its principal backer, Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Grigorishin. 

“ISL is coming back,” commissioner Ben Allen told Reuters. “And we’re really excited about the prospect of a relaunch.”

He said the “ideal scenario” would see the ISL return in the autumn of 2026, with 2027 a firm target if that slips. The new model is designed to reduce reliance on a single investor and lean more heavily on sponsorship and media partnerships.

Splashy return

The planned comeback season will feature seven meets split across North America and Europe, with at least one stop in Asia and possibly in the Middle East, Allen said. 

The United States, which he described as the ISL’s biggest market, is expected to host events after previous stops, including the 2019 final at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay, where a temporary pool was built inside an arena.

He said the league has used the break to tweak the format after feedback from athletes, coaches, broadcasters and fans to make it even better for TV.

As part of its relaunch planning, the ISL is considering changes to its schedule. The league previously ran sessions across two days, and Allen said the league was now weighing a one-day format that could make events easier for travelling fans and broadcasters.

“We’re going to be doing a couple of experiments and trials across the next couple of months to figure that out,” he said.

Olympic momentum

The league’s planned return would come as swimming builds towards the Los Angeles Games, which Allen said creates an opportunity to broaden the sport’s appeal beyond the Olympic window and give athletes a more consistent professional platform to grow their public profiles.

He said the ISL aims to keep swimmers visible throughout the four-year cycle, arguing that many athletes fade from public attention within months of the Games, and that the league’s emphasis on entertainment will remain central. 

He described an ISL meet as a fast-paced production featuring poolside staging, graphics, lasers and a DJ, with minimal downtime between races. 

He cited the 2019 and 2021 seasons, in which the overall title was decided in the final race, underscoring the ISL’s efforts to create close, narrative-driven competition.

Asked about legal disputes involving swimming’s governing body World Aquatics, Allen said the league was preparing to return regardless of the outcome.

“Simply put, no,” he said when asked if the legal battles would be an impediment.

World Aquatics agreed to a US$4.6 million (S$5.9 million) settlement in September with pro swimmers that allowed them to participate in the ISL without losing their right to compete in the Olympics.     

World Aquatics denied any wrongdoing in agreeing to settle the lawsuit, filed in 2018. The deal did not affect a related lawsuit the ISL filed the same year against World Aquatics, which is ongoing. REUTERS