Dubai: With less than 100 days to go before the 10th Fina 25-metre World Swimming Championships in Dubai, more than 100 teams have already confirmed their participation.
And among the big names confirmed to race in Dubai are Australia's multiple Olympic medallists Geoff Huegill, Leisel Jones and Felicity Galvez.
This is the first time the competition has been hosted in the Middle East.
From the swimming superpowers of the United States and Australia through to the Republic of Palau — an island nation in the Pacific Ocean — the world will be descending on Dubai for five days of world-class, high-octane racing in the pool from December 15-19.
And as entries from national swimming federations remain open until after the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Eindhoven, which end November 28, the number of competitors is sure to rise further.
Breaking the record
Organisers say it's likely that the number of athletes competing at the state-of-the-art Dubai Sports Complex will exceed the previous record of 623 set in Manchester two years ago.
"Our mission is to deliver an event of excellence and the news that so many national swimming federations and athletes are set to come to Dubai is great news in our quest to achieve our aim," said Championships director Obaid Al Shamsi.
"The Dubai Sports Complex will be a fantastic venue for the swimmers to race in and tickets will go on sale at the end of this month. It is truly exciting to think we are now less than 100 days away from realising our vision of a truly global swimming championships here in the Middle East," he added.
While a number of national federations said they would only confirm the names of their swimmers closer to the cut-off date, Swimming Australia has already confirmed that included Huegill, Jones and Galvez will be competing.
Huegill is a multiple Olympic, World, Pan-Pacific and Commonwealth Games medallist and a star who won gold in the 50m and 100m butterfly in the Fina World Swimming Championships (25m) when it was held in Moscow in 2002.
Now 31, Huegill retired in 2004 but is well and truly on the comeback trail. At last month's Pan-Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, he clocked 52.21 seconds in the 100m butterfly, his second fastest time ever. It was faster than the time he swam to win a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Breaststroker Jones, who turned 25 on August 30, is the winner of three Olympic gold medals, seven more in the Fina World Swimming Championships (50m), another seven in the Commonwealth Games, plus one in the 2002 Pan-Pacific Championships.
Galvez, 25, is a former world record holder in the 50m and 100m butterfly, a double Olympic gold medallist in Beijing two years ago and also the winner of multiple gold medals in Fina World Swimming Championships in both the long and short courses.
A short-course specialist renowned for her lightning-fast starts and turns, she is sure to be one to watch once the action gets under way.
Volunteers wanted
Details of the 10th Fina World Swimming Championships (25m) can be found at http://www.dubaiswimming2010.ae/ and anyone wishing to get involved as a volunteer can register their interest by emailing: volunteerdubai2010@umegroup.net
