Athletes have travelled to China's capital following the first leg in Shenzhen, where action was held on Tuesday (January 14) and Wednesday (January 15).

The Ying Dong Swimming Natatorium will play host to 30 events across tomorrow and Sunday (January 19).

The FINA Champions Swim Series includes a two-day schedule for each leg, with 14 individual and one relay race per session.

Following on from last year's formula, no heats are held, with the four invited swimmers directly contesting the respective finals.

Among those competing in Beijing will be Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey, winner of the women's 100 metres freestyle and runner-up in the 200m freestyle in Shenzhen.

She is hoping to improve on her respective times of 53.47sec and 1min 56.88sec.

"It's more intimate, with just four swimmers per race," Haughey said.

"We are always together, we eat together and are more relaxed in the call room. 

"It's an invite-only meet and the quality is high, but at the same time it's less stressful than a traditional meet. 

"For the audience, it's also fun to watch, as it's easier for them to pick their favourites."

Prize money of more than $1.2 million (£900,000/€1.1 million) per leg is being distributed to participating swimmers.

FINA's creation of the Champions Swim Series was seen as a direct response to the rival International Swimming League (ISL), whose inaugural edition took place from October to December 2019.

Top stars had complained about a lack of high-quality competitions and prize money, two factors the ISL is addressing.

A legal battle saw FINA reportedly ban athletes from competing at an ISL meet, which was viewed as a rival to its existing World Cup circuit.

This led to ISL organisers and swimmers taking legal action against FINA, leading to the threat being withdrawn by the governing body.