Pan Zhanle of China competes during the Men's 4×100m Medley Relay Final of Swimming at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, Sept 26, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING  The Chinese Swimming Association said Wednesday that China will send a team of 24 swimmers to the upcoming Doha World Aquatics Championships in February.

Olympic and world champions such as Zhang Yufei, Wang Shun, Yang Junxuan, Ye Shiwen, Qin Haiyang, and Xu Jiayu will be absent from the championships in a bid to focus on intense preparations for Paris 2024.

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A new generation of swimmers, spearheaded by Li Bingjie, Yu Yiting, and Pan Zhanle, is set to represent China at the championships, aiming to gain valuable competition experience.

The championships will take place in Doha, Qatar, from Feb 2 to 18.

The women participants included Ma Yonghui, Mao Yihan (also for open water), Ai Yanhan, Lv Yue, Sun Mingxia, Li Bingjie, Yang Chang, Yang Peiqi, Yu Yiting, Chen Xin, Chen Jie, Tang Qianting and Gong Zhenqi, while the men contestants are Wang Haoyu, Wang Xizhe, Zhang Zhanshuo, Ji Xinjie, Fei Liwei, Xu Yifan, Dong Zhihao and Pan Zhanle.

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For Open Water, women participants are Mao Yihan and Xin Xin, while the men included Liu Peixin and Zhang Jinhou.