Adam Peaty © Getty Images
Adam Peaty's return to the world stage and Sarah Sjostrom's efforts to break the medal record will be a vital boost to the Doha World Championships, which saw many top swimmers choose to sit out.
Breaststroke champion Peaty has been at the heart of British swimming for a decade, but the three-time Olympic champion has been absent from the world stage in recent years.
Peaty missed last year's Fukuoka Games due to mental health reasons, and will also miss the 2022 Budapest Games due to a broken foot.
But the 29-year-old plans to take the plunge and compete in the 100m breaststroke on Sunday's first day of competition.
A world record holder, Peaty dominated the 100m breaststroke, winning three world titles and winning back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the event in Rio and Tokyo.
He has plans for a “three-peat” at Paris in six months' time, and Doha may provide a clue as to whether he still has what it takes.
China's Qin Haiyang, who completed an unprecedented hat-trick of 50, 100 and 200 breaststrokes at the Fukuoka Games, will miss Doha, but Peaty will compete against world silver medalists Nick Fink, Nicolò Martinenghi and Arno Caminga. It turns out.
In addition to Hata, Doha will be without many of Fukuoka's other champions as the Paris Olympics approach.
American great Katie Ledecky gave up her chance to win a sixth straight world title in the 800m freestyle, and Lily King and Ryan Murphy are also missing from the slimmed-down U.S. team roster.
For the United States, Kate Douglas will defend her 200 medley title and Hunter Armstrong will aim to win 50 backstroke gold.
“We don't really know how it's going to go overall, but we're hoping to see some fast swims,” U.S. national team coach Eric Posgay told Reuters.
“I believe some swimmers see this as an opportunity to record great times and great swims.”
Powerful Australia also has a number of big names at home, including Olympic 200 and 400 freestyle champion Arialne Titmus and 100 freestyle world champion Molly O'Callaghan.
Canadian young talent Summer McIntosh and up-and-coming Frenchman Leon Marchand will also be absent from the tournament, but Sweden's Sjöström is seizing the opportunity to add to his jam-packed trophy cabinet.
The 30-year-old, who won 50 freestyle and butterfly titles in Fukuoka, overtook Michael Phelps to become the most decorated individual swimmer in world championships history with 21 medals since 2009. became.
She is scheduled to defend both titles in Doha and will also compete in the Blue Rib Band 100 freestyle.
Although the overall arena is modest compared to world record-setting Fukuoka, Sunday's competition gets off to a feverish start with long-distance swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui aiming for the 400m freestyle crown.
Unless Australian champion Sam Short, who defeated last year's runner-up Hafnaoui, is absent, the 21-year-old Tunisian will defend his 800 and 1,500 titles against all of the Fukuoka finalists in the 400.
Australia's 13 titles at the Fukuoka Games boosted their confidence heading into the Olympics, leading them ahead of the United States (seven) in medals at the Fukuoka Games, but the spoils will be spread far and wide in Doha. It is likely to spread.
Australia head coach Rohan Taylor said no player in Qatar would be able to keep the powder dry for Paris.
“This is still a world championship,” he told Reuters.
“Everyone is here to perform at their best.”
