The lure of winning a place at the 2016 Rio Olympics, as well as end-of-season prizes of US$100,000 (Dh367,000) for the 2015 season’s top male and female swimmers, figure to make the Fina Swimming World Cup event at Dubai’s Hamdan Sports Complex, November 6-7, of particular interest to fans.
Chad Le Clos returns
The South African, who has identified Dubai as one of his favourite venues, is in the running for the $100,000 prize, though at the moment he trails compatriot Cameron van de Burgh in the points standings. Le Clos won the end-of-season cash bonus in 2011, 2013 and 2014.
‘Iron Lady’ expected
Katina Hosszu, the multi-discipline Hungarian, won 51 of the 119 gold medals on offer in 2014, and she already has built a sizeable lead this year with six of nine World Cup events still to be held. She recently won gold at the World Championships in the 200m and 400m individual medleys.
Jamaica pioneer
Alia Atkinson, the breaststroke specialist from Jamaica, also is expected to compete. She won a first World Championship medal when she took bronze in Kazan this summer, and was a dominant World Cup presence in 2014, winning the 50m breaststroke five times and the 100m six.
Olympic qualifier
The Dubai event for the first time will be contested in a 50-metre pool, the Olympic distance, rather than in a 25m pool, as in past events. Fina, the sport’s organising body, sets qualifying times for entering the Summer Games, and some competitors in Dubai are likely to book their places at Rio.
Expectations
Ahmed Al Falasi, president of the UAE Swimming Association, expects another highly competitive event as the World Cup comes to Dubai for the fifth time. “With the overall World Cup title and the Olympic qualification on the line, the competition is guaranteed to be exciting,” he said.
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