Two European rounds of the FINA World Cup, one set for
Eindhoven and another in Berlin, are due to be staged immediately after the
World Championships in Barcelona this summer to catch the wave of fit athletes
in peak race form before they depart for summer breaks.
The World Cup series has longed suffered
from poor attendance when it comes to attracting quality fields. Many rounds of
the cup are largely domestic events with a sprinkling of world-class swimmers
from leading nations either dipping in to selected rounds to test themselves at
a time of training or taking on the series in pursuit of the $100,000 prize
available to best man and best woman on a points score.
Now, FINA has heeded the advice of coaches
and swimmers and is set to hold cup events in Eindhoven on August 7-8 and
Berlin on August 10-11. The World Championships come to an end in Barcelona on
August 4, with many of the world's best likely to want to capitalise on peak
long-course form in the short-course pool.
After the first two European rounds the World
Cup is scheduled to switch back to its traditional pattern, with rounds in
Moscow, Dubai, Doha, Singapore, Tokyo and Beijing set to be staged from October
onwards. The changes mark the end of Stockholm's long association with the
series.
By Craig Lord
Source: www.swimnews.com
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