Greece with 20 athletes at the Doha World Aquatics Championships

With the largest number of athletes in its history, will be represented Greek swimming in the Doha World Aquatics Championships, February 11-18 in Doha. As the KOE announced, the mission to Qatar will consist of a total of 20 people, eleven male and nine female swimmers, although only ten of them had reached the limits of the international federation, within the time frames set by the KOE (Marileia Drasidou had achieve the limit within the margin of World Aquatics, but outside that of the Greek federation).

The doubling of participation is due to the decision of the KOE to send down a total of six “scytales”, with the aim of claiming qualification for the Paris Olympics. Apart from the 4X100m. men’s freestyle, 4x100m men’s mixed team and 4X100m. mixed team, whose participation was a given, the 4X200m teams will also compete. men’s and women’s freestyle, as well as 4X100m. women’s mixed team. In order to complete these foursomes, five sportsmen and women were included in the mission who will “fall” only in team events.

The mission in detail: Apostolos Christou (50m, 100m 200m backstroke, 4X100m freestyle, 4X100m mixed team medley), Kristian Golomeev (50m freestyle, 4X100m freestyle), Stergios Bilas (50m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 4X100m freestyle, 4X100m medley), Dimitris Markos (200m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 4X200m freestyle), Apostolos Papastamos (200m butterfly, 400m individual medley), Apostolos Siskos (200m backstroke), Vangelis Makrygiannis (50m, 100m . backstroke, 4X100m mixed team), Arkadios-Giorgos Aspougalis (50m breaststroke, 4X100m mixed team, 4X100m mixed team), Andreas Vazaios (200m individual medley, 4X100m freestyle, 4X200m freestyle), Kostas Stamou ( 100m butterfly, 4X200m freestyle, 4X100m mixed team), Kostas Englezakis (4X200m freestyle), Anna Doudunaki (50m, 100m butterfly, 4X100m mixed team, 4X100m mixed team), Nora Drakou (50m freestyle) , 50m backstroke, 4X100m mixed team, 4X100m mixed team), Eleni Kontogeorgou (100m breaststroke, 4X100m mixed team), Georgia Damasioti (200m butterfly), Marilia Drasidou (50m breaststroke, 4X100m mixed team), Artemis Vasilaki (4X200m freestyle), Zaharoula Kalogeri (4X200m freestyle), Maria Zafeiratou (4X200m freestyle), Anastasia Boutou (4X200m freestyle).

It is noted that, for each of the seven team events of the Olympic program, 16 countries qualify for Paris. The top three finishers in each event at last year’s Fukuoka Worlds have already secured the ticket, while the remaining 13 tickets will be awarded based on a single performance list, which only takes into account the races at last year’s Worlds and this year’s Worlds (qualifying and finals).

Of the 20 athletes, four will make their debut at the World Championships: Kostas Englezakis, Zaharoula Kalogeri, Anastasia Boutou and Maria Zafeiratou. From last year’s 15-member team, only Odysseas Meladinis is absent, while Vangelis Makrygiannis (has reached the limit) and Kostas Stamou, who had participated in the corresponding event in 2022, in Budapest, are also added.

It goes without saying that the World Championships are another opportunity to push individual boundaries for Paris. So far, Apostolos Christou, Apostolos Siskos, Kristian Golomeev, Stergios Bilas and Anna Doudunaki have qualified for the Olympic Games.

Swimming events at the Doha World Championships will begin on February 11 and end on February 18, when the curtain falls on the event.