Olympic champion Jason Lezak of United States, said he would rather compete in the Maccabiah Games in Israel than swim at the World Championships in Italy.
The Maccabiah Games, often called the "Jewish Olympics," is one of the world's oldest multi-sport festivals, staged every four years in Israel.
Lezak, 33, was a member of the USA victorious 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay squads at the Beijing Games.