By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
USA Swimming unveiled a new structure for the Pro Swim Series beginning in 2026 with an eye on better preparing its swimmers for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The new format includes implementing semi-finals in some events, differing at each stop, while one distance event per leg will be contested as prelims/finals. Previously, all Pro Swim Series events (400 and shorter) were raced as prelims/finals, and distance events (800/1500) were all timed finals.
This change will result in each Pro Swim Series meet shifting to four full days of racing with prelims and finals sessions, adding one session to the previous format, which saw a timed final evening session on Day 1 followed by three days of racing.
Each meet will also have a slightly different event order.
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“In preparation for what’s ahead in LA28, it has become clear we need to create more long-course racing opportunities for our National Team,” said Greg Meehan, Managing Director of the National Team.
“This new format at TYR Pro Swim Series meets in 2026 is a great first step by contesting some events in a prelims/semifinals/final format or a prelims/final distance format. It’s especially important in 2026 without a traditional nine-day meet to finish the long-course season.”
In addition to the schedule changes, there will also be more prize money offered in specific events at each meet, doubled to $3,000 from the standard $1,500, “to encourage competitiveness and reward winners of the events with new format changes.”
FULL FORMAT CHANGE BREAKDOWN
Courtesy of USA Swimming
| Event | Date | Format Change |
| Pro Swim Series Austin | January 14–17 |
• Women’s 800 freestyle swum as prelims/final
• 50 butterfly, 50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke, 50 freestyle, and 200 IM will be swum as prelims/semifinals/final • Prize money increase to $3,000 for winners of all 50s, the 200 IM, and the women’s 800 freestyle |
| Pro Swim Series Westmont | March 4–7 |
• Men’s 800 freestyle swum as prelims/final
• All 100s swum as prelims/semifinals/final • Prize money increase to $3,000 for winners of the 100s and men’s 800 freestyle |
| Pro Swim Series Sacramento | May 20–23 |
• Women’s 1500 freestyle swum as prelim/final
• 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, and 200 freestyle swum as prelims/semifinals/final • Prize money increase to $3,000 for winners of the 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 200 freestyle, and women’s 1500 freestyle |
| Pro Swim Series Indianapolis | June 17–20 |
• Men’s 1500 freestyle swum as prelims/final
• Prize money increase to $3,000 for winners of the 400 IM, 400 freestyle, and men’s 1500 freestyle |
USA Swimming said these changes align with the organization’s “broader focus on performance development leading into the next Olympic cycle.”
“By replicating the physical and mental demands of championship-style racing, the TYR Pro Swim Series continues to serve as a critical developmental platform for National Team and National Junior Team athletes on their path to LA28,” the organization said.
In 2025, there were three Pro Swim Series stops in Westmont, Ill., Sacramento, Calif., and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., before the U.S. Summer Championships ran in August from Irvine, Calif.
Next year we’ll see four stops on the circuit, kicking off in January in Austin before returning to Westmont in March and Sacramento in May, and then wrapping up in mid-June in Indianapolis.
Following the final PSS stop in June, USA Swimming will host the 2026 National Championships from July 28 – August 1 in Irvine, an appetizer for the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships, which will run two weeks later, August 12-15, in Irvine. The U.S. team for the 2026 Pan Pacs was selected based on results from championship meets in 2025.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: USA Swimming Announces Revamped Pro Swim Series Format For 2026
