Chinese swimming chiefs said Thursday the upcoming world championships were a crucial test ahead of next year’s Olympics as they look to cement their place as one of the sport’s leading nations. China finished third in swimming events at the 2009 world championships in Rome, behind only the United States and Germany, and underlined their growing strength with a dominant showing at last year’s Asian Games.
Speaking ahead of the championships in Shanghai, which begin on Saturday, Li Hua, secretary general of the China Swimming Association, said the world championships was a key event. “The importance of these championships can never be overstated in that it is a key leg before the London Olympics and our athletes are competing on the home court,” he told reporters. “In addition, it also represents a golden opportunity to lend another big boost to the development of aquatic sports in China. “To warm up for the upcoming Olympics, we are here to test our athletes, accumulate experience, understand the competitive landscape, seek qualifications for the London Olympics and uplift the morality and performance of our teams.”
China’s 52-strong swimming team includes Olympics 200 metres butterfly gold medallist Liu Zige and rising star Sun Yang, who just missed out on breaking Grant Hackett’s long-standing mark in the 1,500m freestyle at the Asian Games.