Doha: The stellar line-up for the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships keeps getting better — Cesar Cielo Filho, the most successful Brazilian swimmer in history, has added his name to list of world-class swimmers who will take to the blocks at Hamad Aquatic Centre here between December 3 and 7.
Filho has won three Olympic medals — including Brazil’s only swimming gold — six individual World Championship gold medals and two long-course world records in 100m and 50m freestyle.
However in Doha, the Brazilian will face stiff competition from Russia’s Vlad Morozov in the 50m freestyle category. Morozov is the defending World Championship silver medalist in the event and one of the best short-course swimmers in history.
The Russian will only swim the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle in Doha, leading many to believe he has a real chance at a world record in the 50. Russia will be looking to better their nine-medal tally of the 2012 World Championships in Istanbul where they finished fifth in the medals table as they prepare to send a 36-strong team to Doha, which also includes Evgeny Korotyshkin, Olympic medalist and double-world record holder in the 100m butterfly and 4x100m medley relay.
Other world-record holders set to compete in Doha include Italy’s Federica Pellegrini (200m butterfly), Agnel Yannick of France (400m freestyle), South Africa’s Roland Schoeman (50m freestyle) and Sweden’s Malin Therese Alshammar (50m butterfly) to name but a few.
Twenty-four athletes from Germany will also compete in Doha. Their best medal chances come in the form of Markus Deibler, who set a new German record of 1:52.38 in the 200m individual medley this season, and 20-year old Sarah Kohler, the German champion in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyles. Markus’ brother, Steffan Diebler, could also provide a medal in the 50m butterfly.
Australia has confirmed that three rookies will join 11 members of Australia’s successful Commonwealth Games team and seven Olympians in a 20-strong Australian Swim Team for the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m). Australian short-course record holders Mitch Larkin and Emily Seebohm will be ones to watch in Doha, both having shown excellent form this season.
Doha has marked this year as its year of swimming. As well as the upcoming FINA World Swimming Championships, the city has already successfully staged the first meet in the FINA Mastbank Swimming World Cup and is the first city to host a World Cup and a World Championships in the same year. It will also host the 3rd FINA Aquatics Conference from November 29 to December 1, which includes the FINA Swimming Coaches Golden Clinic and the FINA Extraordinary Congress.
The 12th FINA World Swimming Championships will be held over five days with morning heats starting at 9.30am and finals kicking off from 6pm. Fans can purchase their tickets at Virgin Megastores or online at tickets.virginmegastores.qa. Tickets start at QR10. THE PENINSULA
