Dubai: Some of the world's top 50-metre swimmers marked this week's landmark of 50 days to go before the 10th Fina World Swimming Championships by looking forward to the event in Dubai.
The championships take place at the new, state-of-the-art Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Sports Complex from December 15 to 19 and a host of top athletes are already gearing up for five days of top-class racing.
Brazil's Cesar Cielo, ranked number one in the world over the 50m freestyle in short course and the winner of the 50m butterfly at the Pan-Pacific Championships (Pan-Pacs) in the United States of America in August said Dubai was a key event for him. "I'm absolutely looking forward to the Championships. It's an important competition [for me] and part of my programme towards the Olympics in 2012," he said.
"It will be my first time in Dubai and I am training as hard as I can and I am focused on my goals, to reach my best times and [achieve] the best results for Brazil."
Cielo's fellow Brazilian, Felipe Silva, is another top-ranked swimmer aiming for Dubai. The man ranked number one in the world at 50m breaststroke over the short course, won the same event over the long course at the Pan-Pacs, and is working hard to overcome wrist and knee injuries to make it to the Championships.
Great opportunity
"I've never been to Dubai but it is a great opportunity [for me] and I'm really excited by [the prospects of] the competition. I'm having some pain in the wrist and knees, but I have great faith and also an excellent doctor who is doing a great job and I know that everything will be overcome. I've had great preparation this season and I think that will bear good fruits. As I said, I am dealing with certain problems, but I will be 100 per cent in Dubai."
One of Silva's main rivals in the 50m breaststroke will be Cameron van der Bergh and the South African, who won the gold medal in the 50m breaststroke over the long course at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi earlier this month, is looking forward to that contest in Dubai.
"He [Silva] got the silver medal behind me in the [long course] World Championships in Rome in 2009 and I know he's posted some fast times this year so he will probably be my biggest threat," he said.
"I'm looking forward to a great Championships. Dubai normally likes to do it bigger and better than anyone else so I'm looking forward to going there and as it's the end of the year I might stay on for a holiday afterwards."
Jessica Hardy of the USA won gold in the 50m breaststroke in Manchester two years ago and also collected gold in the same event over the long course in this year's Pan-Pacs. She is part of a USA team coming to Dubai that includes 20 Olympians and she said:
"I'm excited to compete in Dubai at the short course World Championships. We have a strong US team travelling to the meet and the overall level of competition at the meet should make for a great event — not just for the swimmers, but for the fans as well."
One of Hardy's main rivals for top honours will be Australia's Leiston Pickett, who won the gold medal in the 50m breaststroke at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games.
"The main change [from the long course] has got to be the turns. Some people are fantastic with their turns and underwater so in training those little skills that may be sometimes forgotten really come into play in short course competition," she said.
"I'm really looking forward to going over and competing in Dubai. I know the competition will be really tough over there so it'll be another great opportunity to get some more international racing experience.