Marc-Antoine Olivier leads the way in the FINA Marathon World Series after wins in Doha and Lake Ohrid ©Getty Images

France’s Marc-Antoine Olivier will be aiming to claim a hat-trick of wins at the International Swimming Federation (FINA) Marathon World Series in Israeli city Eilat.

Olivier won the opening two men’s 10-kilometre races of the season, winning in Qatari capital Doha in March before triumphing in Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia in August.

The event has been hit by a series of cancellations with four of the nine legs called off.

Marathon swimmers are now set to compete in two events in the space of five days, with the Israeli leg followed by the season finale, scheduled to run from December 15 to 16, in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Olympic gold medallist Ana Marcela Cunha is among the line-up for the women's race ©Getty Images
Olympic gold medallist Ana Marcela Cunha is among the line-up for the women's race ©Getty Images

Niklas Frach of Germany will be hoping to go one better than he did in North Macedonia, where he finished second behind Olivier.

Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Kristof Rasovszky is also expected to be in contention.

In the women’s event, Brazil’s Olympic champion Ana Marcela Cunha and Hungary’s Anna Olasz will both be looking to secure their second win of the season after emerging victorious in Doha and Lake Ohrid respectively.