Dubai: Tunisian swimming sensation Oussama Mellouli will be one of the star attractions when the Fina/Mastbank Swimming World Cup comes to Dubai on August 31 and September 1, organisers confirmed on Monday.

The 30-year-old, who lives and trains in the US, has established himself as one of the most remarkable long-distance swimmers in history.

Mellouli first etched his name in the record books when he defeated the hot favourite and defending champion Grant Hackett of Australia in the 1500 metres at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, denying Hackett the chance to be the first swimmer to win the event in three consecutive Olympics.

With this victory, Mellouli became the first African male swimmer to win an individual gold medal and the first Tunisian to win an Olympic swimming title.

The following year at the 2009 Fina World Championships in Rome, Mellouli confirmed his world-class status by winning the 1500-metre freestyle, and taking the silver in the 400 metres and 800 metres freestyle.

He followed up with spectacular performances in the Fina World Championships (25m) in Dubai in 2010 when he thrilled the crowds and Tunisian supporters by winning the 1500 metres, after taking silver in the 400 metres IM, and bronze in the 200-metre and 400-metre freestyle.

After his successes in Dubai in 2010, Mellouli made history again at the 2012 Olympic Games when he took gold in the 10km open-water marathon, and bronze in the 1500 metres, becoming the first swimmer in history to take Olympic medals in both the pool and open water.

Following the Olympics, Mellouli considered retirement, but after a seven-month hiatus, he changed his mind and returned to the water to take gold in the 5km open-water race at the 2013 Fina World Championships in Barcelona. This achievement made him the only swimmer to have won gold in both the pool and open water at Olympics and World Championships.

These performances have motivated him to extend his career even further, and with his sights firmly set on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Mellouli hopes to write another chapter in his remarkable story by becoming the first African athlete to win a gold medal in three consecutive Olympics.

“After the 2012 Olympics, I thought I was done, I didn’t want to swim anymore, but the sport has given me so much and I still feel like I have a lot achieve in the pool. A lot of critics say I’m too old to keep competing,” he said in a recent interview. In 2016, he will be 32 and be aiming for gold in the two long-distance Olympic swimming events.

“The big goal is to go after those targets. I want to try to prove myself in the pool, and then keep dominating the open water. That’s the goal. I think it’s going to be very challenging, the events that I’m going after. It’s packed, it’s tough competition, and people are working hard to get there. It keeps me motivated.”

Mellouli’s performances in the 2013 Swimming World Cup last year delighted the crowds, but he couldn’t quite make it to the top of the podium, taking three silvers in the 1500 metres, a silver in the 400-metre freestyle and bronze in the 400m Individual Medley in the three World Cup legs he competed in Dubai, Doha and Tokyo.

“We are delighted to be welcoming Oussama Mellouli back to Dubai, as we all still remember his remarkable victory here in 2010, and it is fantastic for us to see such a swimming legend in action again,” said Ahmad Al Falasi, President of the UAE Swimming Association.

“The standard of competition in the Dubai leg of the World Cup this year is amazing, and with a line-up which includes multiple Olympic and world champions, including Chad Le Clos, Katinka Hosszu and Mireia Belmonte Garcia, as well as Oussama Mellouli, we are guaranteed some incredible performances in the pool,” said Dr Ahmad Sa’ad Al Sharif, General Secretary of Dubai Sports Council.

The Swimming World Cup is contested in a 25-metre pool and sees both men and women vying for prize money in each of the 36 events. The overall men’s and women’s series winner also receives $100,000 (Dh367,000).

The Dubai competition, which will take place on August 31-September 1, is the second round of the seven-leg highly competitive World Cup series, which will commence in Doha on August 27-28.

After Dubai, the competition will move onto to Hong Kong, then Moscow, Beijing and Tokyo. The Final event will be held in Singapore on November 1-2.

The event will begin at 10am on Sunday, August 31, with heats in the morning at 10am and Finals being contested at 6pm, with the same schedule on Monday, September 1. Tickets to the event will be available at the door at the Hamdan Sports Complex, which is located on Emirates Road (E611).