Top swimmers are up in arms over morning finals at the Beijing Olympics and will struggle to get anywhere near world records, said Asian Games gold medallist Vladislav Polyakov on Monday.

American broadcaster NBC -- which paid US$3.55 billion for the exclusive media rights to the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Games -- requested the switch to the morning to coincide with prime-time viewing in the U.S.

Swimming's governing body FINA had urged the International Olympic Committee to reverse the decision after an uproar among swimmers and coaches, who say world record performances will be compromised by the multi-million dollar TV deal.

"Swimmers are not happy about this at all," Asian Games 50m breaststroke champion Polyakov told Reuters.

"This is all being done because of money without thinking about the competitors. The swimmers were never consulted.

"Records will be hard to beat because it's difficult to swim fast early in the morning."

Training programmes and sleeping patterns would have to change if swimmers are to have a chance of clocking quick times, he added.

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"We'll have to do all different kinds of things to make sure we swim fast," he added.

Other swimmers in Doha said the decision had already been taken and it was time to focus on learning to peak early in the morning.

"When I go back to China we will have to be swimming fast in the morning," said 400m freestyle champion Yang Jieqiao of China.

"Everyone else is in the same situation. We have to make sure we are performing at that time instead of at night."

Japanese head coach Norimasa Hirai, who helped Kosume Kitajima win two gold medals in Athens, said the damage had already been done and coaches and swimmers had to adapt.

"For the swimmers, it will be very difficult to race fast in the morning," Hirai told Reuters.

Japan finished alongside China at the top of the swimming medals table in Doha.

"We are accustomed to training early, but they have to try to swim faster in the morning to prepare for the Olympics."