The bizarre 2021, Olympic, European and World short pool year In just six weeks, he says goodbye precisely with this last competition, which starts this Thursday the 16th and will end on Tuesday the 21st. A competition that will not bring together the best of the international circuit taking into account the already confirmed casualties, like Caeleb Dressel, Katie Ledecky, Bobby Finke or the Hungarian Katinka Hosszu, who recently tested positive for COVID and will not be traveling to the United Arab Emirates.
Since September, the competitions have been chained in a very tight end of the year, in which the International Swimming League (ISL) has been combined, with the nationals of each country, the World Cup and the Kazan European Cup. Now the World Cup puts the finishing touch for Spanish swimming, which on the 22nd and 23rd will play the Club Cup in the pool of CN Sant Andreu. An entertaining schedule. Up to six Spaniards will be in Abu Dhabi.
The delegation is headed Jessica Vall, Nico García and Hugo González. The first faces her last blows after trying to be a mother in 2022 and after a brilliant decade-long career in which she has won European and world medals. The second two have flown higher in the Olympics. In Tokyo they competed in the 200 and 100 backstroke finals, and they hope to stay among the top eight in this World Cup. Their paths cross in the United States. Hugo is finishing his studies while Nico will start them in January.
Apart from them they will also compete Jimena Pérez, María de Valdés and Catalina Corró. Coinciding with the championship, FINA organizes one of the Open Water World Cup stations that will feature the participation of the Olympian Alberto Martinez, who has started a new stage of training in Brazil together with the Olympic champion Anna cunha. The qualifier for the Fukuoka World Cup will also be held in the high-jump category.
The absences extend to Australian swimming, so neither will Emma McKeon, winner of seven medals in Tokyo, or Ariarne Titmus. Neither Kristof Milak in the butterfly, with his recent change of coach, nor Adam Peaty, double Olympic champion. The Russian Kliment Kolesnikov, a real record-eater in the 25-meter pool, may become the great attraction and star of a competition that has not aroused much interest.