Dubai: Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu may have an unassailable lead in the Fina/Airwave Swimming World Cup this year, but Australia’s Emily Seebohm continues to frustrate her in the backstroke.

Hosszu is set for her fourth straight World Cup title having claimed 200-metre and 400-metre individual medleys at all five legs of the eight-stage series so far.

The 26-year-old has also taken multiple medals in the 100-metre, 200-metre and 400-metre freestyle, and 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly. But it is in the 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke where she has met the most resistance only picking up one gold medal in the discipline over five rounds.

Seebohm, 23, the current 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke World Champion, has won all five 100-metre gold medals, two golds and two silvers in the 200-metres, and is currently second to Hosszu in the overall rankings.

Hosszu’s only defeat of Seebohm so far this series was in round three in Hong Kong in the 200m backstroke. After denying Hosszu a clean sweep of the medals on the first night of competition when Seebohm won the 50m backstroke ahead of Hosszu, Hosszu turned the tables on her to take out the 200m, finally beating Seebohm to the gold in a backstroke event.

Seebohm avenged her defeat in the next leg in Beijing however, finishing ahead of Hosszu again in the 100 and 200m backstroke. With the Singapore meet reduced to one day due to air quality concerns the 200m was not contested but Seebohm kept her 100m clean sweep intact, again touching out Hosszu.

“We are looking forward to seeing the continued rivalry between Katinka Hosszu and Emily Seebohm play out over the legs in Tokyo and Doha, before their final showdown here in Dubai,” said President of the UAE Swimming Association Ahmad Al Falasi.

The series heads to Tokyo from October 28-29 and Doha from November 2-3 before the final and deciding leg in Dubai’s Hamdan Sports Complex on November 6-7. The Swimming World Cup this year is being held in a 50m pool for the first time, as the event also serves as an Olympic qualifying event.

The event sees teams from over 30 countries competing for honours, with both men and women vying for prize money in each of the 32 events. The overall men’s and women’s series winner also receives $100,000 (Dh367,000).