On July 17th and July 18th 2028, the women’s and men’s LA28 Olympic 10 km open water swimming competitions will be held at Belmont Shore, just north of the Belmont Pier in Long Beach, California.

Four days later on July 22nd, the pool swimming events will start at SoFi Stadium, an American football stadium where 38,000 seats are expected to be sold-out for the 9 days of the pool swimming competition.

The LA28 Games will swap the typical Olympic schedule. The track & field events will be held during the first week while the pool swimming events will be held during the second half of the Olympics.  The Olympic 10K Marathon Swim has traditionally been held near the end of the Games at the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, 2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo, and 2024 Paris Olympics.

The IOC and World Aquatics announced the LA28 Olympic Qualification System Principles for open water swimming – which will remain unchanged from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

There will be 44 spots for open water swimming (22 for women + 22 for men). The Olympic qualification begins at the 2027 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest in June 2027. Athletes will have at least two opportunities to qualify.

At the 2027 World Aquatics Championships, the top three men and top three women in the 10 km event will automatically qualify for the LA28 Games. An additional, highest-ranked male and female athlete will automatically qualify through the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Rankings (see here and below for the current rankings).

The remaining quota places will be determined at the LA28 Open Water Qualification Event. This event is scheduled for spring 2028, with the host and exact dates to be confirmed. If spring means March, April or May, then I think it is unlikely that World Aquatics will want the all-important and last Olympic qualifier to be held along Belmont Shore in Long Beach.

Why? The water temperature is too cold. Long Beach’s water averages 14.4°C (57.9°F) in March, 14.8°C (58.6°F) in April, and 16.1°C (61°F) in May. Alternatively, World Aquatics could have the Olympic qualifier in Long Beach in spring where the athletes will all wear wetsuits – and this would certainly add a new wrinkle to the sport.

But since the average water temperature in Long Beach is 19.3°C (66.7°F) in July, it is quite possible that everyone will be wearing wetsuits in the Olympic 10 km open water swim in LA28 due to World Aquatics rules regarding water temperatures under 20°C. [At World Aquatics and IOC events, wetsuits are mandatory when the water temperature is below 18°C and optional between 18°C and 20°C – but it is highly unlikely that a swimmer will choose to not wear a wetsuit if all their competitors are wearing wetsuits.]

As in Paris 2024, the field of 22 women and 22 men may expand. Swimmers who qualify for LA28 in the 800m or 1500m freestyle will have the opportunity to compete in the 10 km open water event. But, I think there are very few coaches who will allow their pool-focused swimmers to disrupt their taper for the LA28 pool events by competing in an intense 10 km open water race days before the pool events begin.

The details of the Olympic Qualification System Principles for Open Water Swimming are outlined here: LA28 Qualification System – Open Water Swimming.

World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Rankings – Top 10 Men as of December 14th 2025

1. David Betlehem, Hungary, 22, 11,431 points
2. Florian Wellbrock, Germany, 28, 11,220
3. Kristóf Rasovszky, Hungary, 28, 10,461
4. Oliver Klemet, Germany, 23, 10,227
5. Marc-Antoine Olivier, France, 29 9,629
6. Gregorio Paltrinieri, Italy, 31, 9499
7. Martin Straka, Czech Republic, 25, 7,927
8. Kyle Lee, Australia, 23, 7798
9. Logan Fontaine, France, 26, 7,671
10. David Farinango, Ecuador, 25, 7,360

World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Rankings – Top 10 Women as of December 14th 2025

1. Moesha Johnson, Australia, 28, 12,099
2. Ginevra Taddeucci, Italy, 28, 11,969
3. Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil, 33, 10,926
4. Lisa Pou, Monaco, 26, 9,591
5. Maria de Valdes, Spain, 27, 9,481
6. Ichika Kajimoto, Japan, 21, 9,141
7. Bettina Fabian, Hungary, 21, 8,964
8. Caroline Laure Jouisse, France, 31, 8,755
9. Viviane Jungblut, Brazil, 29, 8,432
10. Angela Martinez Guillen, Spain, 21, 8,342

Women’s Olympic 10 km Open Water Swim

With the 10 km race held in the Pacific Ocean only 5 days before the pool swimming competition, it is a reasonable expectation that no current competitors who with hopes of medaling or swimming in the 800m or 1500m finals risk changing their taper to compete in the 10 km race. I believe that the top female pool swimmers – even with a bit of open water swimming experience and dreams – will stay focused on the pool.

This means that the top women who are currently competing in the World Cup series will most likely remain the top medal contenders in LA28. That includes Moesha Johnson (28, Australia, @swimmer_moe), Ginevra Taddeucci (28, Italy, @ginevrataddeucci) and Lea Boy (25, Germany, @lea_boy), especially with the recent retirement of 3-time Olympic 10K Marathon Swim medalist Sharon von Rouwendaal.

Men’s Olympic 10 km Open Water Swim

In contrast to the women’s field, it is a reasonable expectation that the top current male competitors who can either medal or final in the 800m or 1500m freestyle will also compete in the 10 km race.

Florian Wellbrock (Germany, @flo.swim) and Gregorio Paltrinieri (Italy, @greg_palt) are well prepared to handle a tight Olympic schedule and have been doing so for years – and will be competing against their domestic teammates and international rivals from Germany, Italy, Hungary (Kristóf Rasovszky and David Betlehem), and France (Marc-Antoine Olivier and Logan Fontaine).

Most likely, this means that the top men who compete in the World Cup series will remain the top medal contenders in the pool and open water for LA28.

© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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