BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Top swimmers around the world are being invited to participate in the newly introduced Champions Swim Series, FINA announced on Friday.

Guangzhou, China will host the opening leg from April 27 to 28. Hungary's capital Budapest, which hosted last year's world championships, will stage the second event on May 11-12, while American city Indianapolis will round off the series from May 31 to June 1.

Forty-five male and 37 female swimmers including Rio 2016 Olympic medalists, Budapest 2017 World Championships medalists, world record holders and leaders of the FINA world rankings last season, have been invited to take part in the first edition of the series, FINA said.

The individual races will include 50m, 100m, 200m in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, plus the 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley, for both men and women. Only four athletes or teams will feature in every event, which has only direct final. And all three meets will be swum in 50m pool.

Travel and accommodation expenses, as well as an appearance fee will be paid for the participanting athletes, FINA said.

Moreover, large sums of prize money will be handed out with the winner of each individual race set to take home 10,000 dollars and the top team in relay events to earn 16,000 dollars. An additional 20,000 dollars will be given to world record breakers.

"The original competition format, alongside the show we want to create around swimming and the very attractive prize money distribution are important elements characterizing the new 'Champions Swim Series'. With the superb performances of our stars, we will provide a new image of swimming to the world," FINA President Julio C. Maglione said. Enditem

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