The goal of this competition, also working as a test event for the Olympic Games in synchronised swimming, is to determine the eight teams and 24 duets that will be present next August in the Olympic rendezvous, also in the Chinese capital.

After the continental procedure of qualification, five teams - Egypt for Africa, USA for Americas, China for Asia, Russia for Europe, Australia for Oceania -, and six duets - the previous five, plus New Zealand - have already secured their berth for the Games, so the qualification tournament will actually select the final three teams and 18 duets.

The 31 countries entered for this event are; AUT, BLR, BRA, CAN, CRC, CZE, DOM, ESP, FRA, GBR, GER, GRE, INA, ISR, ITA, JPN, KAZ, KOR, MAC, MAS, MEX, NED, PRK, SMR, SRB, SRI, SUI, SVK, UKR, UZB, VEN.

The programme of the competition is as follows (starting at 15:00): April 16 - Duet Technical Routine; April 17 - Team Technical Routine; April 18 - Duet Free Routine (first round); April 19 - Team Free Routine; April 20 - Duet Free Routine (second round).

This is the fourth test event (out of the five FINA disciplines) for the Olympic Games, after swimming (January 31 - February 5), diving (February 19-25, also a qualification event), water polo (March 18-23), and before marathon swimming (May 31 - June 1, also a qualification event).