World Short-Course Swimming Championships from Wednesday

Ryan Lochte

Doha, Dec 2 (IANS)

The World Short-Course Swimming Championships will kick off Wednesday at the Hamad Aquatic Centre here. A lot of Olympic and world champions, including 11-time Olympic medallist Ryan Lochte and Olympic and world butterfly champion Chad le Clos as well as Florent Manaudou and Cesar Cielo, 2012 and 2008 Olympic 50m freestyle champions, respectively, will compete at the 25 metre pool, reports Xinhua.

Double Olympic and five-time world champion Sun Yang, who failed drugs test in May, will miss the championships to focus on his winter training. China's medley star Ye Shiwen will also skip the event that will conclude Sunday.

Katinka Hosszu set five world records during the 2014 World Cup series, her Herculean effort earning the Hungarian the nickname of the 'Iron Lady'.

She will be joined by - among others - double 2012 Olympic freestyle champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo along with triple European and double Commonwealth champion Fran Halsall, former Olympic title-holder Federica Pellegrini and double Olympic and world silver medallist Mireia Belmonte.