Teams from 91 nations arrive in Dubai ahead of World Junior Championships

Abu Dhabi, Aug 25, 2013 (WAM) - Over 1000 swimmers, officials and supporting families have touched down in Dubai ahead of the 4th FINA World Junior Championships which start on Monday. 753 of the best young swimmers in the world representing 91 nations will compete for glory. On Thursday, the 28-strong Australian team jetted in from a pre-event training camp in Doha. Team Manager Michael Scott said the swimmers have already demonstrated great potential and will gain valuable race experience from this international meet which will run between 26 - 31 August. "A number of these swimmers have already shown what they are capable of at a national and international level, with over half of this team representing Australia at the Trans Tasman, Junior Pan Pacs or Australian Youth Olympic Festival in the last two years," Scott said. "This meet will be an important stepping stone for the swimmers looking to gain selection onto senior teams in the near future and the racing experience gained will benefit them as they move forward into the next stages of the journey towards Rio and beyond," Scott added. The youngest member of the team is 14-year-old Shayna Jack, who has already shown great potential placing fifth behind four London Olympians in the 50m freestyle final at the Australian Championships in May. Jack will be in the hunt for gold in three events, the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle. Another rising star is distance swimmer Mack Horton who is looking to regain the 1500m crown, as event dominated by Australian swimmers for many years. Mack recorded a sub-15 minute swim in May, knocking five seconds off his personal best time, and looks to be in fine form ahead of this Championship. The 17-year-old will have a packed schedule, contesting the 200, 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle events over the six day meet. "We are delighted to be welcoming so many people from around the world to Dubai for this event, and are looking forward to seeing some fantastic performances in the pool this week" said Hessa Al Harmoudi , a member of the Organising Committee. – Emirates News Agency, WAM