Le Clos, Hosszu seal cluster wins as spectacular Doha meet ends
DOHA, October 06, 2017-Doha once again proved to be one of the best stops of the FINA airweave Swimming World Cup as the two-day meet, which decided cluster #2 winners, came to a close in front of a full house at the Hamad Aquatic Center on Thursday night.
Brilliant battles were witnessed during the high-profile event, with South Africa's Olympic and World champion Chad Le Clos and Hungarian sensation Katinka Hosszu turning out as the eventual winners of cluster #2.
It was the sixth consecutive year for Qatar – host of the FINA World Championships and Masters in 2023 World Championships – to organize the FINA airweave World Cup series.
Le Clos, who is leading the overall rankings comfortably with 312 points, accumulated a total of six medals including four gold and a couple of silver medals to win the penultimate cluster of the FINA series.
“I am very happy with my tally – four gold and two silver medals – is a good performance and I am happy with the results," said Le Clos who looks to win the World Cup series for an unprecedented fourth time.
The speedster also defeated rival Tom Shields of USA thrice during the event.
“I won some close races against him (Shields) and I am happy about it. Most importantly, I won the cluster. It was a close contest in the cluster and I am happy to win it. I love Doha, it's a second home for me and lucky to me" he said.
Hosszu was in sizzling form in the final night securing the cluster victory after winning three gold medals, which took her overall tally to five golds and a silver medal in the fifth leg of the overall series.
“I am very happy with my performance. Spectators showed a huge support for me and motivate me a lot. A big thank you to them" said the Hungarian after she secured the cluster win.
Swede Sarah Sjostrom, the Olympic and world champion, also had to gain a lot in Doha's leg as she managed to clinch five golds and a silver medal to keep her overall lead intact with 446 points. She lost to rival Hosszu in the eagerly-awaited 100m IM duel but she was delighted with the overall results.
“I did some mistakes (in IM) but overall I am happy with my five gold medals. I have a good lead in the series," the Swede star said. “I'll go back to training after a break to prepare for the next cluster."
Russian giant Vladmir Morozov signed off with three gold medals with a victory in 50m freestyle on the final day. The Winsdor 2016 World Championships star overcame Le Clos who finished second for a silver medal.
Another Russian star, Kirill Prigoda, who is holding third spot in the overall rankings, also enjoyed a commendable run as he bagged two gold medals in as any day.
German talent Christian Diener also made his presence felt by winning two gold medals, both on the final day.
Jamaican world record holder Alia Atkinson also returned from Doha with a brace of gold medals.
Qatar Swimming Association (QSA) President, Mr Khaleel Al Jabir said staging FINA's top events in Doha is making a good impact for the promotion of the sport in the region. The event is also beneficial for the Qatari swimmers as they learn a lot from the top swimmers."
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