Comment: The World Cup is done for 2011, the efforts of Chad le Clos and Therese Alshammar delivering the $100,000 prizes, the efforts of Michael Phelps and Melissa Franklin delivering redemption and a world record respectively, China and Japan delivering notice that they have a legion of young talent on the move and Ian Thorpe and Libby Trickett delivering notice of their new intent, Thorpe generating the biggest media coverage for the cup around the world. 

The quality of each of the rounds of the cup, in terms of how many overseas big hitters included the series in their winter race and training schedules, is in part reflected in the numbers of performances that made Nick Thierry's SwimNews world ranking lists, the best instant measure of elite swimming and best long-term measure of where it all fits in history.

Here's how the stats stack up and show the spikes of Berlin and Tokyo as top meets on the circuit and the weakness of Dubai (Men, Women, Total Nos of swims that made the top 150 world rankings):

• Dubai       : 85;   73; 158
• Stockholm: 301; 298; 599
• Moscow   : 405; 345; 750
• Berlin       : 544; 531; 1075
• Singapore : 252; 271; 523
• Beijing     : 308; 336; 644
• Tokyo      : 618; 609; 1227

The arguments over quality when it comes to the world cup are often misunderstood and misinterpreted. Mention the fact that a swimmer ranked outside the top 250 in the world has finished fifth in a world cup final and you attract the wrath of the embittered and intellectually challenged who note the benefits of world-class competition for developers and those making their way through the ranks (as if none of us were aware of that, as if none of us were aware of the myriad international meets that cater for developing talent beyond the realm of FINA). 

Such views miss the point, which is: what is the purpose of the world cup? Is it what it appears to be: a chance for FINA to spend money on athletes; a chance for a few big hitters (and few is justified if you consider the list of the missing) to chase the big money by travelling to seven far-flung events at great expense (their own or more often than not their federation's); a useful series of meets for testing race form, skills and gaining experience at a time of training; a leg up for those who will be inspired by racing at a meet that features Phelps, Franklin, Alshammar, Le Clos, Biedermann and Steffen?

There are positive points in all of the above, the cup series generated plenty of tight racing and many a truly world-class performance - and great, of course, to see three men and three women take home some decent money (US$100,000 for the winner on points accumulated through the series, $50,000 for second, $30,000 for third) from their achievements in the race pool. 

As Alshammar - who has made the world cup work in her favour but in return has delivered world-class performances by the bucket-load - once told me: "The money gives me an opportunity to be a professional, I can't think of a more fulfilling or exciting way to make a living. So yes, it has kept me in the sport of swimming. I invest most if my earnings in swimming again - in order to keep performing and progressing I believe in putting myself in good professional environments. I also try to save some for the day I feel like doing something else … prize money is a bonus when you achieve your goals."

Just as obvious as the worth of Alshammar and her words and the worth of the series as an experience-gathering tour that serves as a fine opportunity for many a domestic swimmer who simply would not get the chance of racing in international wearers otherwise, is the thing that is missing from the sport of swimming: no golden league, no genuine challenge that showcases the very best of the sport in the world beyond the big championship moments, Olympic, world and continental. Nothing that brings the best 10 or 20 in the world together across a number of events at a time when they would be willing to take on serious challenge.

FINA would be right to note that streets run in both directions. Not its fault if the best swimmers in the world don't turn up, some at the international federation say. A valid point of view - up to a point: if FINA wants a golden league that attracts serious broadcast money and worldwide media coverage well beyond the snippets and round-up columns that the current world cup format generates, it has to find the right format, including serious consideration of a whole range of questions, including:

• does a two-day meet really have to follow the entire world-championship programme, one designed for meets 5 to 8 days long? 
• does it make financial sense for athletes and federations to go on a very expensive globetrotting tour at a time of training - and are their better financial models when it comes to the ability of athletes to fund their way through the competitive world ($360,000 for six athletes, nothing for everyone else)?
• would it make sense to tweak the current world cup format into the warm-up leading to a new-look clash-of-titans style challenge that would scream a silent "class" after the world "world" in the event title and provide a showcase away from the strict championship format that is fed by the bolt-on diet often favoured by those who run the sport and think more is better under any cirumstance?
• geography and the costs of travel (not just for athletes): would it make sense for the showdown, showcase meets of any tour to be placed in one continent?
• is it feasible to link a network of domestic grand prix events run by FINA members and providing great opportunity for developing talent to a global cup showdown that rotates through continents each season (the costs of travel and time out of training at home keeps many away from even considering the cup as a part of their preparations)?
• how best to build in a cliff-hanger element so that the last round of a tour attracts bigger attention and is stripped of the predicatble 

And: how to get away from the need to report the performance of a swimmer in pure time terms because that is often all the reporter is left with in a 'race' won by 3sec and more over 200m that was actually no race at all beyond the race the winner had with self.

Bob Bowman, coach to Michael Phelps, will take a year off the deck in the wake of London 2012 and some of his time will be devoted to thinking about meet formats. When SwimNews Magazine talked to Bowman at the Berlin round of the World Cup (you can read the feature in the latest edition of the Magazine, out this week), he spoke of what he and Michael Phelps will be getting up to when the greatest Olympian hangs up his goggles. Bowman mentioned this: "… building up swimming is the idea. We are interested in bringing news ideas of swim meets or a circuit of swim meets…".

No details. Terrific to hear that such people think there is something new and better to build. In Berlin, Bowman also noted how much he loved "this kind of meet" because it allowed athletes to perform, hone, test and challenge themselves without the pressure of big moment. Fun, is how he described it.

Fun should not be lost as swimming considers the future of elite events away from the major championship circuit - but whatever format is favoured, there is something else that needs to be part of the mix if swimming is ever going to have a moment in the spotlight of world media beyond the Olympic Games and World Championships: a gathering of the very best in the world in the same place at the same time doing what they do best: racing - each other. Time is the bread and butter of the sport, world records the rare visit to a Michelin-starred feast - but racing, not the clock, is the vintage that audiences beyond the swimming faithful wish to sup.

FINA is built on many commissions and committees that deliver expertise and experience on a number of fronts, from athletes, coaches, technical experts, legal eagles, media, sponsorship, marketing and more. The time may be ripe for a think tank that brings those parties together to consider the future of meets, with all ears open to the mood music coming from the likes of Bowman.