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29 March 2024

World class swimming stars return to Dubai in August

Katinka Hosszu (left) and Chad Le Clos. (SUPPLIED)

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By Staff

World class swimming returns to Dubai next month as an impressive line-up of world and Olympic champions head to Dubai for the second round of the FINA/Mastbank Swimming World Cup from August 31 to September 1 at the Hamdan Sports Complex.

Organisers are expecting another thrilling event, with crowd favourites and overall winners of the 2013 Swimming World Cup, Chad Le Clos of South Africa and Hungarian superstar Katinka Hosszu expected to head the list of stars competing for World Cup glory.

Golden boy Chad Le Clos is one of the most popular swimmers in the world and is in scintillating form.

Le Clos considers Dubai his lucky pool as he took his first World Championship crown here in December 2010 in the 10th FINA World Championships (25m). 

He went on to win the overall Swimming World Cup in 2011 before he became a household name worldwide after defeating Michael Phelps to win gold in the 200m butterfly at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Le Clos took gold again at the 2012 World Championships (25m) in Istanbul, before being crowned World Champion in the 100m and 200m butterfly at the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, before taking the overall World Cup crown again last year. 

Katinka Hosszu proved herself to be one of the toughest and most exciting competitors ever seen in the pool during last year’s Swimming World Cup when she won an outstanding 32 events over the series, completely dominating the 200m and 400m individual medley (IM) races, and setting 6 new world records.

She finished the series an astounding 537 points ahead of her nearest rival to take her second consecutive overall World Cup. 

Hosszu is also current world champion in the 200m and 400m IM long course events, and in the 200m butterfly and 100m IM in short course events and shows no sign of easing up on her heavy competition schedule.

World record holder in the 50m freestyle in short course, Roland Schoeman, will join his countryman Le Clos in the race for World Cup gold.

The 33 year-old veteran sprint king swept all before him in his pet 50m breaststroke event in last year’s World Cup, and shows no signs of relinquishing his spot at the top of the podium.

Schoeman will have his work cut out for him though with Russia’s Vladimir Morozov challenging for the sprinter’s crown. Morozov dominated the freestyle sprints last year, winning all but one race in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events, with Schoeman and Australia’s James Magnussen the only swimmers able to overcome him. Morozov’s performance saw him finish second overall behind Le Clos.

Also competing in Dubai is emerging breaststroke queen Alia Atkinson of Jamaica, who took second overall in the 2013 World Cup behind Hosszu.

Atkinson won a total of 11 events in the 100m and 50m breaststroke, and her thrilling win in the 100m breaststroke in Dubai saw her top the women’s pointscore for the Dubai round of the series.

The series will also be used as vital preparation for the 12th FINA World Championships (25m) which will be held in Doha, Qatar in December.

Ahmed Al Falasi, President of the UAE Swimming Association and Chairman of the Organising Committee said: “This is the fourth time this event has been held in Dubai, and we are delighted that with each year we are attracting more world class swimmers to the event.

“There will be a wealth of talent on display, every year this event has delivered wonderful performances and and we encourage sports fans to come and witness the World and Olympic champions in action."

“It is a great honour to be hosting this fantastic event again in Dubai,” said Dr Ahmad Saad Al Sharif, General Secretary of Dubai Sports Council.

“The previous three FINA Swimming World Cups have been great successes and we are delighted to be welcoming the world’s best again next month. I have no doubt that we will once again witness some incredible action in the magnificent Hamdan Sports Complex,” added Dr Al Sharif.

The Dubai competition is the second round of the seven-leg highly competitive World Cup series, which will commence in August in Doha on August 27-28. After Dubai the competition will move onto to Hong Kong, then Moscow, Beijing and Tokyo. The final event will be held in Singapore on November 1-2. 

The Swimming World Cup is contested in a 25m pool and sees both men and women vying for prize money in each of the 36 events. The overall men’s and women’s series winner also receives US$100,000. The event will see teams from over 30 countries competing for honours.