Champions ready for Marathon Swim World Series
DOHA, March 15, 2018 - Local and international sponsors have united in support of Doha's first ever FINA/HOSA Marathon Swim World Series event to be hosted in the stunning setting of Doha's Corniche on Saturday.
The world-class competition will see Olympic and world champions swim head to head over 10km providing a memorable and unique experience for all the public to enjoy, free of charge.
Over 100 of the world's best swimmers will compete in the event which is the first of a nine-meeting series taking place in some of the world's most scenic waterways, including the Seychelles, Portugal, Canada and China. Local companies Al Kass, Ooredoo, QNB and Zoom Arts have been announced as national sponsors, with Gulf Crafts and Al Jouf as national suppliers. Meanwhile FINA have appointed Chinese Sportswear brand HOSA as the title sponsor of the event series, and Microplus as the timing and scoring services provider.
Speaking ahead of the event, FINA President Julio Maglione said:"The very high-profile start list, including Olympic and world champions, confirms the popularity and success of the prestigious event. Doha has been for the past years a very solid FINA partner in the organisation of several events and we look forward to seeing the result of all this hard-work and commitment, which will represent another milestone for the development of this Olympic discipline in this region."
Khalil al Jabir, President of the Qatar Swimming Association, said:"We are very excited to host such a prestigious and exciting FINA event in the heart of Doha. The weekend timing, stunning setting and central location enable us to bring a new swimming discipline directly to the people of Doha. We encourage everyone to come down, cheer on the world's best swimmers and enjoy this truly unique experience with their family and friends."
He continued:"The Qatar Swimming Association is committed to continuing to grow and develop the sport in Qatar and around the region and we hope that this event will raise the profile of marathon swimming and inspire more people to take up the sport, and lead healthy and active lifestyles."
Seventy-two male and 44 female athletes from 24 countries will compete in the Olympic distance event in the open water beside Doha's Corniche. Starting from the Orry statue, the women's event will begin at 8:30am and the men's at 1:30pm. Top female swimmers participating include Rio 2016 Olympic champion, Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands, 2017 World Series winner, Arianna Bridi and Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Rachele Bruni, both of Italy, and 2017 world silver medallist Samantha Michelle Arevalo Salinas of Ecuador.
Top male swimmers to look out for include Rio 2016 Olympic and Budapest 2017 world champion Ferry Weertman who will face a strong challenge from Rio 2016 and Budapest 2017 bronze medallist Marc-Antoine Olivier of France and Great Britain's Jack Burnell, who finished just outside the medals in fourth place at last summer's world championships. There will be local interest in up and coming young Qatari swimmer, Abdulrahman Hisham, who looks to gain useful experience in a high-level global competition amongst the world's best.
Many of the elite swimmers will be on hand to meet and provide tips and guidance to members of the public who are participating in the Open Water Challenge event. Taking place on Friday at 1:30pm, the event is being organised to give amateur swimmers the opportunity to enjoy the same facilities and full services as the elite athletes, enabling everyone to be a world-class athlete for the day.
With weather and water temperatures expected to be ideal and the course taking place in front of Doha's beautiful backdrop, competitors will have the opportunity to sample the very best of open-water swimming.
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