The Nation's Biggest Supporter
GET FUNDING |
GET ACTIVE |
GET RESOURCES |
NEWS & MEDIA |
IN YOUR REGION
EVENTS |
Economic of sport in the NW |
Sport England welcomes extra funds for cycling |
SPORT ENGLAND SHOWS ITS SUPPORT FOR GLASSON RANGERS ARLFC |
Sport England provides boost for sport in Halton |
Sport England encourages Bolton youngsters to Tri Golf |
Olympic champions ride into town to open new cycling track |
HANDS UP FOR SPORTS VOLUNTEERING CONFRENCE |
SPORT ENGLAND NORTH WEST GIVE £250,000 FUNDING FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF CUMBRIA |
SPORT ENGLAND HELPS BURY GYMNASTICS CLUB RISE FROM THE ASHES |
NORTH WEST CELEBRATES REGION'S 2012 SPORTING LEGACY |
SPORT ENGLAND REVEALS SPORTS PARTICIPATION IS INCREASING WITH THE OVER 55S LEADING THE CHARGE |
SPORT CAN CHANGE LIVES SAY NACRO AND SPORT ENGLAND NW |
SPORT ENGLAND AWARD £195,000 TO CLITHEROE SPORT CENTRE |
'Back to Netball' - England Netball Project |
Twenty five North West sporting venues included in London 2012 training camp guide |
Greater Manchesters Volunteers Stand out from the Crowd |
Sporting project provides training and qualifications boost to Hyndburn youngsters |
Olympians make a splash at Aquatics Centre |
Streetgames festival of sport comes to NW |
Community Sports Network - Community Sports Project (STRIDE) |
New Rugby League Volunteering Opportunities coming to the North West!
17 July 2008
THE BRITISH Olympic swimming team has officially opened Liverpool’s new Aquatics Centre.
The city’s stunning Olympic-sized pool in Wavertree hosted the prestigious ASA National Championships from 10-13 July, bringing the country’s finest swimmers to the city. All 38 members of the British squad competed in the championships – their last competitive meet before carrying the nation’s swimming hopes to the Beijing Olympics next month.
And hours before the event got underway, they joined civic guests to take part in the official opening ceremony of the Sport England-funded Aquatics Centre. Squad members and Olympian Steve Parry unveiled a plaque before diving into the pool with local schoolchildren for a swimming session.
Liverpool City Council Leader, Councillor Warren Bradley, said: “The Liverpool Aquatics Centre is an absolutely world-class venue. As well as providing fantastic gym and swimming facilities for the local community, it is helping put Liverpool on the national swimming map.
“Our continuous investment in sport is driving up the health and fitness of local people, nurturing new talent and cementing our position as a city of sporting excellence. The Aquatics Centre is a symbol of that. Our elite swimmers no longer have to undergo 70 mile round trips to Manchester and Wigan to train in an Olympic standard pool. And every young person in the city can use the centre – and all our Lifestyles Centres - for free, using their ‘Lifestyles Future Scheme’ passes.
“I can’t think of a better occasion to officially open the Centre than the start of the ASA National Championships. Bringing such a major sporting event to Liverpool is a real coup for the city. It’s fantastic news that the pool is already helping us attract the nation’s elite swimmers to Liverpool.”
The Liverpool Aquatics Centre is the biggest investment in the city’s swimming facilities for decades. It includes a state-of-the-art 50-metre pool, a 400-seat arena and a unique moveable floor which allows the depth of the pool to be varied and even raised above the water line for dry sports such as aerobics.
It is also three-pools-in-one, with the main pool able to be divided in two, plus another 20-metre training pool. It is expected that some of the world’s best swimmers will use the pool as a training camp in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.
The Aquatics Centre replaced the original 80 year old Picton Baths which had to close because of structural problems. The project also includes huge investment to improve the Lifestyles Fitness Centre next door. There has been a major expansion of the gym which now contains more than 100 pieces of state-of-the-art equipment - measuring up against the country’s best private sector gyms.
Stewart Kellett, Regional Director of Sport England North West, said: “I am proud that Sport England has been able to support such an outstanding sporting asset for the city and the region. Liverpool has always produced excellent sportsmen and women and this new competition length pool will mean tomorrow’s champions can train right here in the city.
“The pool has already been officially branded as Olympic class by London 2012, making this an inspiring and exciting place to learn to swim, to swim for fun or to compete as part of a club. “
The new Aquatics Centre has been a massive success since first opening its doors in March. It has received almost 100,000 visits, with nearly 1,700 people signing up as new Lifestyles members.
The majority of funding for the project - £13 million – came from the city council, with a further £4m of Lottery cash from Sport England.
Double World Open Water Silver medallist Cassie Patten from Stockport, who is competing in the championships, said: "I moved up to the North West to have regular access to a 50m facility, so the opening of Liverpool's Aquatics Centre is fantastic for the region.
“I found training in a 50m facility really helped me develop my swimming and I believe that the people of Liverpool will enjoy the new pool. It is the first time I will have competed in the pool and I am really excited about it."
East | East Midlands | London | North East | North West | South East | South West | West Midlands | Yorkshire
Graphic Version | How to use this site | Site map | A-Z Index | Contact Us