The Peninsula
Reigning Olympic champion Sharon Van Rouwendaal and Italian star Simone Ruffini are hoping to overcome strong fields as Qatar is set to host the star-studded FINA Marathon Swim World Series Doha (QAT) 2019, which will be held on picturesque Corniche tomorrow.
The Qatari capital will kick off the FINA Marathon (10km) Swim World Series 2019, which comprises a total of 9 legs.
The Doha meet, which will play an important role in swimmers qualification for this year’s World Aquatics Championships in South Korea, has attracted higher number of entries as compared to the 2018 edition in both the men and women line-ups.
A total of 136 swimmers (84 male and 52 female) including several Olympic and World champions will take a plunge in Corniche waters, deemed ‘excellent’ by Dutch star Van Rouwendaal.
Qatar has hosted multiple top-level FINA events, including seven FINA Swimming World Cups and the 2014 World Swimming Championships.
The FINA Marathon Swim World Series is adding a valuable experience and expertise as QSA builds up to the Doha 2023 FINA World Aquatics Championships.
“We are holding the event for the second time and I am happy the number has increased from the last time. We are ready to host these world’s best swimmers,” said QSA President and FINA Bureau Member Khaleel Al Jabir, at a pre-event press conference yesterday on Corniche, near Orry the Oryx Statue, where the races will take place.
“Qatar will host this FINA Marathon till 2021 and it is very good for us as everybody knows Qatar will host the World Championships in 2023, where this competition is one of the events.”
“We are getting a lot of experience by hosting this competition, as we prepare for the World Championships, in which more than 15,000 athletes will take part in Doha,” the QSA president added.
Also present on the occasion, FINA Technical Delegate John West praised Organising Committee’s effort to prepare for the event.
“Over the past couple of days, we have been reviewing all the arrangements for the competition, and we are very pleased with the level of organisation and cooperation we are receiving. We would like to thank QSA for hosting the opening meet of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series 2019,” he said.
Van Rouwendaal, who won in Doha last year, hoped to repeat her performance.
“Conditions are looking very good. I like the water temperature, I like 20 degrees. The course is excellent again like last year. It’s always good to be back in Doha,” Van Rouwendaal said.
“Last year, I ended up winning it though my preparations were not good. This year, I feel strong but the other girls are also strong. The field will be strong and tough so I will try my best,” she added.
Overall winner in 2016 and 2017 Ruffini hoped to start the season on a positive note.
“I had problems before but now I am strong for the race and I will try my best because this race is important for the World Championships,” said Ruffini.
Tomorrow, the women’s race will start at 9am while the men’s race will kick off at 1pm.
Meanwhile, a total of 338 Qatari residents have signed up for Doha Open Water Challenge, which will be held today.
The event, open to public comprises several category races for swimmers over 11 years of age. The races will start at 1pm.