Swimming: Siobhan-Marie O'Connor picks her 200IM ones to watch in 2015

Siobhan-Marie O’Connor competes in the World Short Course Championships this week in Doha looking to end the year on a high.

However, whatever happens in Qatar, 2014 has been an incredible year for the Sky Academy Sports Scholar who won a record-equalling six medals at the Commonwealth Games as well as setting countless personal bests during the past 12 months.

The highlight, though, undoubtedly came in Glasgow as O’Connor stormed to victory in the 200m individual medley final. The Commonwealth title saw her pick up her first major championships gold medal and it was achieved in a Games and British record time.

It was a dominant display in her favoured event, one she will be aiming to make her event in the coming years.

To do that, though, the 19-year-old Bath swimmer will need to overcome a number of close rivals as the major championships come thick and fast on the road to Rio and beyond.

We asked Siobhan to name her ones to watch in 2015 and it is fair to say that based on this list, the competition to top the women’s 200IM rankings will be fierce.

Katinka Hosszu

The fastest woman in the world in the 200m individual medley in 2014 in the 50m pool and seemingly unbeatable in a short course pool. Hosszu is the hot favourite to pick up the 200IM in Doha - and with good reason given that her best time this year in short course is nearly four seconds quicker than her nearest rival.

It is far tighter when it comes to long course and given that it is this format that is used for the summer World Championships and the Olympic Games, this is where the majority of swimmers put most of their focus. The Hungarian is still top of the pile but the chasing pack is breathing down her neck, none more heavily than O'Connor.

Siobhan says: “Katinka Hosszu is top of the rankings and she’s the current world champion. She’s a very good swimmer, she’s the girl that at the moment I’m pushing hard to beat.”

Ye Shiwen

Shiwen was just 16 when she won Olympic gold in London and looked to be in a great position to go on and dominate the 200IM for years to come. However, it has not quite worked out that way for the Chinese teenager. A fourth-placed finish at the World Championships in Barcelona the following year, two-and-a-half seconds behind the victorious Hosszu, was a disappointment and she has struggled to recapture her 2012 form.

Shiwen failed to pick up a 200IM medal in the recent FINA World Cup series but did ease to victory at the Asian Games earlier this year and even when not at her best she has swam the fourth fastest 200IM long course time of 2014. It would be no surprise to see an upturn in form from her as the 2016 Olympics draw closer.

Siobhan says: “She’s the Olympic champion. She’s not been as quick as she has been since the Olympics but she’s still a 2:07 girl and she’s been around 2:08 this year so she is still one to watch.”

Alicia Coutts

Now 27, Coutts is an experienced campaigner and is on course to compete at her third Olympic Games at Rio 2016. Five gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi showed her immense talent but since then the Australian has been very much the bridesmaid rather than the bride, with a host of silver medals at major championships.

At the 2011 World Championships she was pipped to the 200IM gold by Shiwen and it was the same story 12 months later at the London Olympics. In 2013 Coutts did get the better of Shiwen in the world final but was still forced to settle for second place, this time behind Hosszu. There was another silver for the collection at the Commonwealth Games as the gold medal favourite was seen off by O'Connor's Games record swim. Coutts is still putting in the times, though, and she is sure to be there or thereabouts in 2015.

Siobhan says: “Until the Commonwealths she was ranked number one in the world. She's the Olympic silver medallist so she is pretty quick too! I went to Australia just before the last Olympics and raced her when she was in great form and I didn’t really get close to her. I’ve looked up to her for quite a while and as well as the 200IM she does similar events to me and I’d say we swim the medley in the same way as well.

"So to beat her at the Commonwealths was a really good achievement, I didn’t know if I was going to be capable of that going in. The 200IM is a hard event, there are girls who swim it in different ways but I swim it quite similarly to her and that gives me the confidence because she’s been successful in the event in the past.”

Caitlin Leverenz

The 2012 Olympic bronze medallist has struggled to hit the same heights she managed that summer in the two years since but a number of eye-catching short course performances since September have led to suggestions that Leverenz could be getting back to her best.

The American is ranked 11th in the long course world rankings after a largely forgettable long course campaign but is No 2 in the short course standings and is now among the favourites to medal in Qatar this week. If she can manage that and even look to push Hosszu for the gold, it may be just the boost required to get her long course form back on track.

Siobhan says: “Caitlin Leverenz was the Olympic bronze medallist and she will be up there at the World Short Course.”

Siobhan-Marie O’Connor

Of course, Siobhan was far too modest to nominate herself but having only just turned 19 and having recorded the second fastest time of 2014, there seems little doubt that she will be right up there challenging for the medals at the major meets in 2015.

Having won six medals at the Commonwealth Games including the 200IM gold, 2014 was very much a breakthrough year for the teenager and with greater challenges to come in the next two years, she shows no signs of dwelling on the past and basking in her Glasgow glory. Progression is the key for O'Connor.

Siobhan says: "Long course was really good for me last season and I was in a really good place but I’m hoping to improve on what I did last year. I definitely have another ‘goal time’ in my mind. I sat down with my coach and discussed that, it’s just about trying to progress every year."