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MELBOURNE: Australia and the United States will vie
for supremacy and the crucial upper hand as the last major swimming
event before next year’s Beijing Olympics gets underway in
Melbourne this weekend.
The World Swimming Championships
take on added significance as the Olympic build-up gathers pace with
2,000 athletes from 175 countries competing in swimming, diving,
synchronized swimming and water polo.
While Australia and the US are
the traditional swimming powerhouses, China, Japan, Russia and the
European contingent will be looking to secure their own slice of
history.
At the last worlds in Montreal
two years ago, the United States emerged victorious with 39 medals
(17 gold) to Australia’s 25 (13 gold).
Montreal belonged to distance
king Grant Hackett, who will be defending his 400m, 800m and 1500m
freestyles titles in Melbourne after capitalizing on Ian Thorpe’s
absence in Canada.
Hackett—the most decorated
swimmer in world championship history—is aiming to become the
first man to win the 1500m at five worlds before his expected
swansong in Beijing next year.
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