The International Swimming League (ISL) is making a comeback after a five-year break with an All-Star Match scheduled for December 19 at the London Aquatics Centre. This event marks the first step in the league’s planned full relaunch.
Top swimmers from around the world will compete in this team-based event for a significant prize purse, with specific details to be announced later. Notable swimmers who have participated in past ISL events include Caeleb Dressel from the United States, Adam Peaty from Britain, and Katinka Hosszu from Hungary.
The announcement confirms the plans outlined by ISL Commissioner Ben Allen in the previous year, where he expressed the league’s intention to resume activities in the autumn of 2026 with a new commercial strategy focused on sponsorship and media partnerships rather than a single investor.
Originally launched in 2019 to offer a professional competition outside the Olympic calendar, the ISL last held a season in 2021 before pausing operations due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation in Ukraine affecting its main supporter, Konstantin Grigorishin.
The league had envisioned a comeback season with seven matches spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and possibly the Middle East, considering a condensed one-day format following past two-day competitions. In July, the league announced plans to settle overdue prize money owed to approximately 300 athletes from the 2021 season.
The upcoming London event is set to be a trial of this streamlined approach before a broader relaunch. ISL Commissioner Ben Allen described the All-Star Match as a highly anticipated moment for the swimming community, bringing together the world’s best athletes on the ISL stage in London, a city known for its exceptional sports audience and the Aquatics Centre, a renowned venue from the 2012 London Olympics.
Further details regarding participating swimmers, match structure, ticketing, and broadcast arrangements will be revealed by the ISL in due course.