The 2020 FINA Champions Swim Series will kick off next week in Shenzhen, China as some of the world’s best swimmers will compete in an elite competition with only four swimmers per event. The meet will be January 14 – 15 in Shenzhen and the second stop will be January 19 – 20 in Beijing. Those are the only two stops of the series as the Olympic Games are taking the top priority this year. The big headlining matchup this year is the rematch of Sun Yang and Danas Rapsys, who touched in the top two spots in the 200 free at World Championships this summer before Rapsys was disqualified for a false start. Sun also won the 400 free at those Worlds while Rapsys was just off the podium in fourth.
Sun Yang was the subject of controversy in 2019 as he had a hearing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in November about the now-infamous September 2018 night where he smashed a vial of his blood with a hammer during a doping test. The CAS will decide Sun’s fate this month if he is to serve a suspension for tampering or if he is to be left off the hook. The FINA Champions Swim Series has the potential to be one of the last times we could see Sun compete if he is to receive a suspension.
*Sun Yang has since indicated on social media that he will not be participating in the Champions Swim Series to focus on preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games.
The allocation of prize money at the FINA Champions Swim Series will continue distributing US$ 10,000 for the first in each race, US$ 8,000 for the second best, US$ 6,000 for the third-ranked swimmer and US$ 5,000 to the fourth in the final. Prize money will also be available for relay events. Moreover, appearance fee will be provided to all invited athletes, who will have their travel, accommodation and local meals also covered.
Objectives of the Champions Swim Series (as outlined by FINA)
- stage the greatest swimming events ever seen
- generate international TV, digital and media interest
- give high-level swimmers increased attention and appearance
- create a world-class platform for swimming.
- establish the event as the most important swimming event in the annual calendar after the World Championships and Olympics
- use sport as theatre
- be a must-have event for cities, broadcasters and sponsors
- create a new star-culture in swimming events
The FINA Champions Swim Series began last year with three stops across three months in China, Hungary and the United States. Sarah Sjostrom and Michael Andrew led the money lists last year with over $100 grand earned across the three meets. Sjostrom will not be present in China after she just came off a long ISL season with Energy Standard.
36 men and 26 women will be present in Shenzhen for the first meet. Most of the swimmers in Shenzhen will return for Beijing later in the week except a couple swimmers will be only doing the Beijing stop. Those changes are listed below.
Reigning Olympic backstroke champion Ryan Murphy is the most notable addition to the Beijing lineup as he will be swimming the three backstroke events plus the 100 fly. 2019 Pacific Rim swimmer of the year Daiya Seto will also only be in Beijing as he is coming off a successful ISL debut where he broke the world record in the 400 IM in short course meters.
The 400 IM will not be swum at the FINA Champions Swim Series, and neither will the 800 or 1500 free.
FINA Champions Swim Series Full Athlete List (Shenzhen) January 14 – 15
Men:
- Michael Andrew, USA, 50 free, 50 back, 50, 100 fly, 200 IM
- Dmitriy Balandin, KAZ, 100, 200 breast
- Marcelo Chierighini, BRA, 100 free
- Apostolos Christou, GRE, 50 back
- Anthony Ervin, USA, 50 free
- Kristian Gkolomeev, GRE, 50 free
- Robert Glinta, ROU, 50 back
- Joao Gomes, BRA, 50 breast
- Andriy Govorov, UKR, 50 fly
- Matt Grevers, USA, 100 back
- Zach Harting, USA, 200 fly
- Ji Xinjie, CHN, 400 free
- Arno Kamminga, NED, 50, 100, 200 breast
- Radoslaw Kawecki, POL, 200 back
- Tamas Kenderesi, HUN, 200 fly
- Denys Kesyl, UKR, 200 fly
- Marco Koch, GER, 200 breast
- Oleg Kostin, RUS, 50, 100 fly
- Dominik Kozma, HUN, 200, 400 free
- Andrei Minakov, RUS, 100 free, 100 fly
- Vladimir Morozov, RUS, 50, 100 free
- Jacob Pebley, USA, 100, 200 back, 200 IM
- Josh Prenot, USA, 200 breast, 200 IM
- Danas Rapsys, LTU, 200, 400 free
- Masato Sakai, JPN, 200 fly
- Nicholas Santos, BRA, 50 fly
- Fabio Scozzoli, ITA, 50 breast
- Ilya Shymanovich, BLR, 50, 100 breast
- Sun Yang, CHN, 200, 400 free (no longer a part of meet)
- Adam Telegdy, HUN, 200 back
- Matthew Temple, AUS, 100 fly
- Markus Thormeyer, CAN, 200 free, 100, 200 back
- Pieter Timmers, BEL, 100 free
- Wang Shun, CHN, 200 IM
- Xu Jiayu, CHN, 50, 100 back
- Yan Zibei, CHN, 100 breast
Women:
- Alia Atkinson, JAM, 50, 100 breast
- Martina Carraro, ITA, 50, 100, 200 breast
- Svetlana Chimrova, RUS, 200 fly
- Michelle Coleman, SWE, 50, 100 free, 50, 100 back, 50 fly
- Elena Di Liddo, ITA, 50, 100 fly
- Anna Egorova, RUS, 400 free
- Fu Yuanhui, CHN, 100 back
- Molly Hannis, USA, 50 breast
- Siobhan Haughey, HKG, 100, 200 free
- Femke Heemskerk, NED, 50, 100, 200 free
- Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 200 free, 100, 200 back, 100, 200 fly, 200 IM
- Ida Hulkko, FIN, 50 breast
- Boglarka Kapas, HUN, 400 free, 200 fly
- Ajna Kesely, HUN, 400 free
- Ranomi Kromowidjojo, NED, 50, 100 free, 50, 100 fly
- Liu Xiang, CHN, 50 free, 50 back
- Liu Yaxin, CHN, 200 back
- Jeanette Ottesen, DEN, 50, 100 fly
- Sydney Pickrem, CAN, 200 back, 100, 200 breast, 200 IM
- Caroline Pilhatsch, AUT, 50 back
- Liliana Szilagyi, HUN, 200 fly
- Kira Toussaint, NED, 50, 100, 200 back
- Wang Jianjiahe, CHN, 400 free
- Yang Junxuan, CHN, 200 free
- Ye Shiwen, CHN, 200 breast, 200 IM
- Yu Jingyao, CHN, 100, 200 breast
- Yu Yiting, CHN, 200 IM
FINA Champions Swim Series Changes For Beijing (January 18 – 19)
Men:
- Jeremy Desplanches, SUI, 200 IM
- Ryosuke Irie, JPN, 100, 200 back
- Felipe Lima, BRA, 50 breast
- Ryan Murphy, 50, 100, 200 back, 100 fly
- Daiya Seto, JPN, 200 fly, 200 IM
- Pieter Timmers, BEL, 200 free
- Ippei Watanabe, JPN, 200 breast
Women:
- Anastasia Fesikova, RUS, 50, 100 back
- Rika Omoto, JPN, 200 IM
