Swimmers arriving in Doha for the HOSA Marathon Swim World Series event which will take pace at Doha’s Corniche on Saturday.
Doha: Local and international sponsors have united in support of Doha’s first ever FINA/HOSA Marathon Swim World Series event hosted in the stunning setting of Doha’s Corniche on Saturday.
The world-class competition will see Olympic and World Champions swim head to head over 10km providing a memorable and unique experience for all the public to enjoy, free of charge.
Over 100 of the world’s best swimmers will compete in the event which is the first of a nine-meeting series taking place in some of the world’s most scenic waterways, including the Seychelles, Portugal, Canada and China.
Local companies Al Kass, Ooredoo, QNB and Zoom Arts have been announced as National Sponsors, with GULF Crafts and Al Jouf as National Suppliers. Meanwhile FINA have appointed Chinese Sportswear brand HOSA as the title sponsor of the event series, and Microplus as the timing and scoring services provider.
Speaking ahead of the event, President of FINA, Julio Maglione, said: “The very high-profile start list including Olympic and World Champions to take the departure in Doha confirms the popularity and success of the prestigious event.
“Doha have been for the last years a very solid FINA partner in the organisation of several events and we look forward to seeing the result of all this hard-work and commitment, which will represent another milestone for the development of this Olympic discipline in this region of the world.”
Meanwhile, President of the Qatar Swimming Association, Khalil Al Jabir, said: “We are very excited to host such a prestigious and exciting FINA event in the heart of Doha. The weekend timing, stunning setting and central location enable us to bring a new swimming discipline directly to the people of Doha.
“We encourage everyone to come down, cheer on the world’s best swimmers and enjoy this truly unique experience with their family and friends.”
He continued: “The Qatar Swimming Association is committed to continuing to grow and develop the sport in Qatar and around the region and we hope that this event will raise the profile of marathon swimming and inspire more people to take up the sport, and lead healthy and active lifestyles.”
Local sponsors are uniting to provide first-class support and services to ensure that the event is organised to the highest possible level, and contribute to the continued development of Qatar’s second most popular participation sport. National Sponsors Al Kass, Ooredoo, QNB, Zoom Arts, Gulf Crafts and Al Jouf will be supporting the staging of the event.
72 male and 44 female athletes from 24 countries will compete in the Olympic distance event in the open water beside Doha’s Corniche. Starting from the Orry statue, the women’s event will begin at 8:30am and the men’s at 1:30pm.
Top female swimmers participating include Rio 2016 Olympic Champion, Sharon Van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands, 2017 World Series winner, Arianna Bridi and Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist, Rachele Bruni, both of Italy and 2017 World silver medallist Samantha Michelle Arevalo Salinas of Ecuador.
Meanwhile top male swimmers to look out for include Rio 2016 Olympic and Budapest 2017 World Champion Ferry Weertman who will face a strong challenge from Rio 2016 and Budapest 2017 bronze medallist Marc-Antoine Olivier of France and Great Britain’s Jack Burnell, who finished just outside the medals in fourth place at last summer’s World Championships.
There will be local interest in up and coming young Qatari swimmer, Abdulrahman Hisham, who looks to gain useful experience in a high-level global competition amongst the world’s best.
Many of the elite swimmers will be on hand to meet and provide tips and guidance to members of the public who are participating in the Open Water Challenge event.
Swimmers arriving in Doha for the HOSA Marathon Swim World Series event which will take pace at Doha’s Corniche on Saturday.
Taking place tomorrow at 1:30pm, the event is being organised to give amateur swimmers the opportunity to enjoy the same facilities and full services as the elite athletes, enabling everyone to be a world-class athlete for the day.
With weather and water temperatures expected to be ideal and the course taking place in front of Doha’s beautiful backdrop, competitors will have the opportunity to sample the very best of open-water swimming.
Doha’s hosting of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series event will provide further vital experience in the build up to its hosting of the 2023 FINA World Championships.
The pinnacle of the aquatics calendar includes all six FINA disciplines: Swimming, Diving, High Diving, Artistic Swimming, Open Water, Water Polo plus the Masters competitions. Doha already has solid FINA experience through its hosting of six FINA World Cups and the 2014 World Swimming Championships.
