Three of the South African men's team which won the gold medals in the 400m freestyle relay at the Athens Olympics are among the international stars taking part in the first leg of the Fina Swimming World Cup over the next three days at Durban's King's Park Aquatic Centre.
Ryk Neethling, Roland Schoeman and Darian Townsend are on the list of more than 100 competitors from 21 countries who will be in short course action from Friday until Sunday.
Neethling and Schoeman, with 12 medals between them at the 2003 World Cup in Durban, were among the dominant swimmers along with Martina Moravcova (Slovakia) who won six.
Schoeman struck gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly and was second in three other finals while Neethling was a gold medallist in the 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly and had four second places.
Among the list of international entries that stand out are those of German world record holder of the 100m individual medley, Thomas Rupprath, Olympic gold medallist Camelia Potec (Romania), world 50m freestyle champion Josefin Lillhage (Sweden), 100m backstroke world record holder Peter Marshall (US), Ed Moses (US) who is top-ranked in the world in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke and Moravcova who made such an impression here last year.
In this first leg of the 2004-2005 World Cup Neethling has entered seven events, the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle, 50m and 100m butterfly and 100m individual medley.
Schoeman matches this with entries in the 50m and 100m freestyle, 50m and 100m butterfly, 50m breaststroke, 50m backstroke and 100m individual medley.
Neethling is ranked first in the world in the men's short course 400m freestyle, third in the 200m freestyle and ninth in the 50m butterfly.
The focus of the home crowd will be on the three relay sprinters in Friday night's opening session of finals in the men's 100m freestyle while Neething and Rupprath will come head to head in the men's 50m butterfly and 100m medley events.
Other local swimmers out to impress in front of the home crowd will be Melissa Corfe in the women's 800m freestyle, former Olympian Mandy Loots, teenagers Lauren Roets and Troyden Prinsloo and the experienced Charlene Wittstock.
The Aquatic Centre received a R1-million facelift in 2003 on the first occasion of the staging of a World Cup event in Africa and another R400 000 has been spent in 2004, courtesy of eThekwini Municipality.
This has gone into the hiring and installation of the Omega electronic timing system and scoreboard, the floating barrier at the halfway mark to convert the pool from 50m long course to 25m short-course and for additional seating to house the expected crowds.
In 2003 the 4 000-seater indoor facility was vvirtually full on the first two nights and close to it on the third.
Heats will be held from 10am on each day of the three days in the eight-lane pool with the finals from 6.15pm each evening.
Swimming South Africa has, through its various sponsors, put up the R360 000 for the staging rights and another R360 000 in prize money for the 34 finals to be run off, allocated as follows - 1st place R6 000), 2nd place R3 000, 3rd place R1 500.