Reigning FINA Swimmer of the Year South Africa’s Chad Le Clos will have a chance to win crucial points heading into the final event in Dubai.

By Sports Reporter/Doha

Following a record-breaking 2014 season of swimming in Qatar, which saw the capital city host both a FINA Swimming World Cup and the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), the world’s best are ready to return to Doha this November for the penultimate FINA airweave Swimming World Cup 2015 meet. As part of the qualifying event, Olympians, record holders, and world champions will be looking to secure their participation in Rio 2016 Olympic Games swimming competition. Fans can expect all-out performances, fierce competitions and tumbling records across two days of intense action.
The showpiece swimming event will see some of the world’s most powerful swimmers take to the water in front of fans at the Hamad Aquatic Centre. Unlike last year’s Swimming World Cup, athletes will be competing in a 50m pool to simulate Olympic conditions as they look to secure a place at Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The penultimate session in the series of eight action-packed FINA Swimming World Cup meets, the Doha edition also gives the likes of last year’s overall FINA Swimming World Cup winners and reigning FINA Swimmers of the Year, Chad Le Clos (RSA) and Katinka Hosszu (HUN) the chance to win crucial points heading into the final event in Dubai.
Qatar Swimming Association president and Local Organising Committee executive director Khaleel al-Jabir said: “Last year was Qatar’s year of swimming. Our city, facilities and our hospitality rose to the occasion and we hosted two record-breaking events here in Doha. This year we can continue to build on that momentum and further strengthen a legacy for swimming across the region as we welcome back the world’s best to compete for glory once again.
“Qatar Swimming Association preparations are already well underway. As an Olympic Games qualifying event we are taking extra care to ensure athletes, coaches and officials enjoy a seamless competition experience.”
Fans will be hoping to catch notable athletes like Great Britain’s Liam Tancock, USA’s Nathan Adrian, and South Africa’s Chad Le Clos in this year in Doha. No stranger to Qatar, Le Clos recorded dominant performances at Hamad Aquatic Centre in 2014. At the FINA Swimming World Cup in August 2014, he took home gold in the 50m and 100m butterfly, his signature events, as well as the 100m freestyle. Another successful medal haul at the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships in December saw the South African leave with four individual titles - in the 200m free, 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly - and a World Record in the 100m. Should he confirm his place at the FINA airweave Swimming World Cup in 2015, he will certainly be one to watch.
Three-time Olympian Katinka Hosszu is another name sports fans will be eager to see return to Doha for this year’s World Cup. She has an impressive history at the FINA Swimming World Cup and last year at the Doha meet alone, she broke two world records and set a championship record. The ‘Iron Lady’ followed up her World Cup performance with another four world records set at Hamad Aquatic Centre at the World Swimming Championships, taking a total of eight medals across the competition.
The full line-up for the upcoming FINA airweave Swimming World Cup – Doha will be revealed in the coming weeks.