Marquez enjoyed a fine end to the 2013 season after taking a silver medal at the World Championships in Kaoshiung followed by second place at the Champion of Champions event in Doha. 

But the women who has the dominated the sport over the recent years in the form of Olympic Champion and world ranked number one Laura Asadauskaite of Lithuania will also be present in her first appearance since winning the world title in ahead of Marquez last summer.

Among other leading contenders will be a full strength Russian team consisting of World Championships bronze medal winner Donata Rimsaite, as well as Ekaterina Khuraskina and Gulnaz Gubaydullina

But, in a continuation of the sporting rivalry seen at the recent Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, there is an equally strong Ukrainian team consisting of Viktoria Tereshuk and Ganna Buriak, both winners on the World Cup circuit last year, as well as Iryna Khokhlova and newcomer Anastasia Spas.

Following the retirement of former triple world champion Amélie Cazé, the French team will consist solely of Elodie Clouvel who, in the absence of a squad from Great Britain, will be expected to lead the way in the swimming discipline. 

Elodie Clouvel of France competing in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year
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Among other strong teams will China, led by 21-year-old 2013 Asian Championships runner-up Wei Wang, while Germany will be led by a back in form Beijing 2008 Olympic champion Lena Schoneborn.