Doha: With just one month to go until swimming’s showpiece event, athletes are eagerly awaiting the chance to compete in Qatar again — this time for World Championship glory.
Having started the season in Doha in August at the FINA Mastbank Swimming World Cup, the world’s best swimmers have now completed their World Cup campaigns at the final meet of the seven-part series in Singapore. They will return to Qatar once again to battle it out at the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) from December 3-7.
Topping the World Cup points table this year and retaining their titles in the process are South Africa’s Chad Le Clos and Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu, who powered away with big leads early on in Doha — Hosszu taking seven golds and Le Clos three.
Rounding out the overall women’s winners table are Inge Dekker (Netherlands) in second and Alia Atkinson (Jamaica) in third place and in the men’s competition, Le Clos is followed by Daniel Gyurta (Hungary) in second place and Tom Shields (USA) in third overall.
Sports fans in Doha were treated to thrilling performances from all six of those swimmers at the August World Cup and they are already looking forward to a return to the water in Qatar.
Jamaica’s two-time Olympian, Alia Atkinson, has had a stunning racing season so far clinching gold in the 50m breaststroke in Doha and finishing third overall in the World Cup series. “I’m really looking forward to being back in Doha for the World Championships in December. I’m hoping to go even faster than I did at the World Cup,” Atkinson said.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic medallist and former world record holder George Bovell said: “It’s great to have already raced in Doha earlier on in the year at the World Cup. I feel really prepared going to the world championships back in the same pool.”
This year marks the first in FINA history that the same city will host both a World Cup and a World Championships, showcasing the country’s growing commitment to swimming and further cementing Qatar’s reputation as a host to major international sporting events.
Commenting on preparations for the upcoming FINA Swimming World Championships, Khaleel Al Jabir, Qatar Swimming Association President, said: “With one month to go until the championships, people in our community are already showing their excitement and counting down until their swimming heroes return to the region. After such a successful event in August, we know these elite athletes are expecting great things not only from themselves but from our city as we prepare to deliver another world class event.”
Directly ahead of the World Championships, Doha will host the third FINA Aquatics Convention putting itself at the centre of the sport’s development.
The convention will run from November 29 till December 1 and it provides a platform for industry leaders and decision makers to facilitate and support sustainable growth of aquatic sports throughout the world.
Doha is also showing its commitment to the future of swimming through the Youth Programme, a five-day event where 400 elite young swimmers and their coaches will be given the opportunity to experience the FINA Swimming World Championships first hand. Organised by Qatar Olympic Committee and FINA, the Youth Programme will bring together the swimmers of tomorrow with the talent and coaches of today.
The 12th FINA World Swimming Championships will be held over five days with morning heats starting at 9:30am and the fast-action finals takings place at 6pm. Fans can purchase their tickets at Virgin Megastores or online at tickets.virginmegastores.me. THE PENINSULA
