These two athletes and many other swimmers arrived in Doha, the third edition and the only one swum on the Asian continent, after competing in Berlin (GER) and Budapest (HUN) meets. The third leg of the 2021 FINA Swimming World Cup will feature 77 of the world's best short course swimmers in Doha on Thursday October 21 for the three-day 25m swimming event. 

Twenty six different national federations will be represented including 14 swimmers from Korea, the largest delegation, followed by the host nation.

We are looking forward to exciting races in Doha. We are hopeful that it would be another memorable experience for all the participants. We wish best of luck to all the athletes
By Qatar Swimming Association President Mr. Khaleel Al-Jabir

A total of 50 male and 27 female swimmers will be competing at the impressive Hamad Aquatic Centre (HAC) within the Aspire Zone. This will mark 10 years of organising an event leg of the FINA Swimming World Cup series in Doha, capital of Qatar

Check the entry lists.

McKeon's total score for the recent Budapest stop, 58.3 points, was the highest individual score by any competitor, male or female, across the first two stops of the World Cup circuit. The Australian dropped almost half a second from her time at the Berlin World Cup edition to win the gold medal in a time of 50.58 seconds, tying the FINA World Cup record set by Sarah Sjöström of Sweden in 2017

Image Source: Emma McKeon came up with the best individual effort on the last day as she tied the World Cup record in the 100m free

The Australian's three gold medals in the 50m, 100m and 50m butterfly were half of her nation's medal haul in Budapest. McKeon is being chased by second ranked Kira Toussaint (NED) golden at the May 2021 European Championship in the 50m backstroke. Australian teammates Madison Wilson and Holly Barratt who are ranked third and fourth in the ranking respectively – will also participate along with fifth-placed Swedish Michelle Coleman.   

At the Tokyo Olympics Emma McKeon was crowned the fastest woman on Earth after winning the 50m and 100m free with a new Olympic record, only the second female sprinter ever to swim this event under 52 seconds.  She also won the 50m sprint freestyle in Tokyo.  The 27 year old is a four-time world record holder including the newly minted gold 4x100 metre freestyle relay.  McKeon's career haul of 11 Olympic medals following the 2020 Olympic Games made her Australia's most decorated Olympian and tied for the most medals won by a woman in a single Olympic Games. 

In the first leg held in Berlin US swimmers won the most medals, 19 total including two of the five gold by Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold medallist Tom Shields who won the 50m and 100m butterfly events.  The 30 year old Shields, a two time Olympian is the current American record holder in the short course 50m and 200m butterfly events.  Shields was second in FINA points to the 18 year old Sates, a rising star from South Africa who captured four gold medals in Berlin including a sweep of the 100m, 200m and 400m individual medley events.  Sates scored 58.2 points in Berlin.

In the Budapest World Cup edition the South African teenager Sates won all 5 of his nation's gold medals, winning the 200m and 400m freestyle events and sweeping the three individual medley events.  Shields won 4 of the 8 USA gold medals by sweeping the three butterfly events and also winning the 100 back.  Shields was in brilliant form setting a new American record 21.99, bettering Caeleb Dressel’s former mark of 22.04 in the 50m butterfly.  The USA led all nations with 18 medals in Budapest.

Double Tokyo Olympic silver medallist in breaststroke Arno Kamminga (NED) will seek to improve his current third ranking.  Rio Olympics gold medallist Kyle Chalmers (AUS) holds the fourth spot in the men’s individual ranking – and Lithuanian Danas Rapsys (fifth) are scheduled to compete at the Hamad Aquatic Center.         

Olympic bronze medallist Vladimir Morozov (RUS) the overall winner of the FINA Swimming World Cup in 2019, and his teammate Anton Chupkov (RUS) confirmed their participation. Chupkov, a bronze medallist from Rio 2016 reversed his retirement decision and will participate in the swimming event for the first time after the Tokyo Olympics.  Also scheduled to compete is Yuliya Efimova who owns two silver medals in the breaststroke events from the 2016 Rio Olympics.