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From February 2 to 18, Qatar welcomes the great specialists in water sports, with Paris on the horizon. In artistic swimming, Spain will try to get closer to the seven Fukuoka medalsalthough the real objective is to qualify the team and the duo for the Games. Hugo González, Ana Carvajal and Ángela Martínez are the headliners in swimming, jumping and open water. The water polo teams will go for everything. And, precisely because of the Olympic proximity, a good number of international stars will be missing, although others like Sjostrom, Meilutyte, Hafnaoui or McEvoy will not miss it.
Artistic Swimming
(From Friday the 2nd to Saturday the 10th)
Mayuko Fujiki’s Spanish team is competing in the Games. To do this, you must be among the five best who have not already qualified. If the team agrees, the duo formed by Iris Tió and Alisa Ozhogina will also enter: if not, they will have another three places left to enter. Dennis González and Mireia Hernández participate in men’s solo and mixed duets. Emma García is out at the last minute due to a back injury.
Jumps
(From Friday the 2nd to Saturday the 10th)
Ana Carvajal and her 10-meter platform were the best result in the last World Championships in Fukuoka, which catapulted her to the Games. Adrián Abadía, Carlos Camacho, Nicolás Garcia Boissier, Max Liñán, Jorge Rodríguez, Valeria Antolino, Mari Carmen Papworth and Rocío Velázquez will also fight for it.
Open waters
(From Saturday the 3rd to Thursday the 8th)
Ángela Martínez, eleventh in Fukuoka in ten kilometers and twelfth in five, is the great Spanish hope, along with María de Valdés and Candela Sánchez. Guillem Pujol is the only man in the Spanish delegation in Doha.
Women’s Water Polo
(From Sunday the 4th to Friday the 16th)
After two consecutive final losses against the Netherlands, in the last World Cups and in the recent European Championship, Miki Oca’s National Team is looking for the most difficult yet: to retain the only world title in its history, which it won in Barcelona 2013.
Men’s Water Polo
(From Monday the 5th to Saturday the 17th)
Álvaro Granados’ great goal to give Spain the first men’s European title in its history still resonates. With those echoes they will meet again with Croatia, the runner-up, in the group stage. And with the peace of mind of finally having the Olympic ticket.
High Diving
(From Tuesday the 13th to Thursday the 15th)
At 34 years old, the Canary Islander Carlos Gimeno will be the only Spanish representative in a spectacular modality, with acrobatic jumps at 27 meters high (20 in women) but which does not appear among the Olympic disciplines. He has just won his first victory in the Red Bull Series last September, specifically in Mostar.
Swimming
(From Sunday the 11th to Sunday the 18th)
Hugo González is the great exponent of Spanish swimming at the Doha World Championships and wherever he goes, and even more so in the absence of Mireia Belmonte. The Mallorcan, already qualified for the Games in the 200 medley and 200 backstroke, will participate in those events, in the 100 backstroke, where he is looking for one more place, and in the 50 backstroke.
The other hopes of Spain
In addition to Hugo González, 15 other Spanish swimmers are attending Doha. Those closest to the Games, at least based on their previous performances, are África Zamorano in the 200 backstroke, Carmen Weiler in the 100 backstroke, Arbidel González in the 200 butterfly and Carlos Garach in the 1,500 freestyle. Also up to five relay events.
The great absences
The forced placement of these World Cups on the calendar, still as a consequence of the pandemic, has caused numerous swimming stars to decline their presence. This is the case of the kings of the previous Fukuoka event, Kayle McKeown, Léon Marchand and Haiyang Qin, and also of David Popovici, Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky, who will end her streak of six consecutive golds in the 800 freestyle.
Those who will be
Kate Douglass, who won six medals in Fukuoka, is one of the headliners in Doha swimming, along with Sarah Sjostrom, who has been champion in the 50 butterfly at every World Cup since 2015, Tunisian Ahmed Hafnaoui, king of the middle distance, the sprinter Cameron McEvoy or the bracista and record holder Ruta Meilutyte.