Stars aim to make positive splash

American great Ryan Lochte will join other stars in trying to give swimming a positive spin at this week's world short-course championships, following an uncomfortable few weeks for the sport.

Last week it emerged that in May double Olympic and five-time world champion Sun Yang failed a test for banned substances, which revealed the stimulant trimetazidine. He was slapped with a three-month ban.

There was also news of another Russian doping violation, months after sports minister Vitaly Mutko admitted the country was "on the brink" of being suspended from competition as positive tests continued to mount.

Ryan Lochte, who has won 11 Olympic medals for the US, heads the list of international stars competing at the FINA short-course world championships in Doha, Qatar, this week. Getty Images / AFP

In October world governing body FINA provoked a backlash when it awarded Russian president Vladimir Putin its highest honor - The FINA Order - an act described by the German Bundestag as "tastelessly provocative".

A proposal for the swimming finals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro to be held late at night in order to satisfy television demands has also met resistance.

Against this backdrop Olympic and world champions will take to the 25m pool at Hamad Aquatics Center from Dec 3-7.

Those competing include 11-time Olympic medalist Lochte and Olympic and world butterfly champion Chad le Clos, as well as Florent Manaudou and Cesar Cielo, the 2012 and 2008 Olympic 50m freestyle champions respectively.

Canadian Ryan Cochrane - runner-up to Sun in the 1,500m freestyle at the 2012 Olympics and 2013 World Championships in Barcelona - will also be in Qatar.

Katinka Hosszu set five world records during the 2014 World Cup series, with her Herculean program earning the Hungarian her 'Iron Lady' nickname.

She will be joined by double 2012 Olympic freestyle champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo along with triple European and double Commonwealth champion Fran Halsall, former Olympic titleholder Federica Pellegrini and double Olympic and world silver medalist Mireia Belmonte.

A swimmer who made a staggering breakthrough onto the international stage in 2014 was British breaststroker Adam Peaty.

Still only 19, Peaty beat Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh en route to the 100m breaststroke title at the Commonwealth Games - one of his three medals in Glasgow.

He then won four titles at the European Championships in Berlin, setting a world record in the 50m as well as being one of the British mixed relay squad that set a new global mark.

Speaking days after Sun's positive test emerged, Peaty said: "I know it has been published really late and I don't know what is going on there. I don't really have a personal opinion on it but with drugs in general the penalties should be a lot more steep.

"I'm sure for people who are going to be racing him now that is going to be fuel for them to beat him."

Peaty will renew acquaintances with van der Burgh as well as Hungarian 200m Olympic champion Daniel Gyurta, runner-up to le Clos in the World Cup series this autumn, and German European 200m titleholder Marco Koch.

"I am just going to go out there and fight as hard as I can and use my skills as much as I can and hopefully come back with quite a big PB (personal best) because I think my long course is faster than my short course," he said.

While Peaty is starting out on his senior international career, 30-year-old Lochte will be looking to add to the 30 world short-course medals he has already claimed.

Lochte is entered in six individual events and spearheads a 36-member US team. He told a teleconference: "Team USA is just going to do what we always do and go out there and try to prove to the world we are the best. I'm excited to go."