01 December 2006
9th FINA World Swimming Championships 2008: The Countdown Begins
The countdown has begun to Manchester's biggest sporting event since the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
In early 2008, the world's best swimmers will converge on the city for the FINA World Swimming Championships.
Manchester always does things differently and it promises to be like no other swim meet with two huge temporary pools being built in the world's most popular concert venue - The M.E.N Arena.
John Knight, General Manager of the Manchester Evening News Arena says: "Everyone is intrigued by the thought of a world class swimming event in the building where they"ve become used to seeing the likes of Madonna, U2 and The Rolling Stones. The event will be another milestone in the history of the arena."
And 'Great Big Events' - the people behind the sports presentation for the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and Melbourne and the Rugby World Cup 2003 - are being employed to 'raise the bar' and set new standards of style and presentation for major swimming championships.
Project Director for Manchester 2008, Peter Knowles says: "Two pools means two million litres of water. Now imagine that in a concert venue. It will be quite something and with the ability to do all sorts of amazing things with lighting and sound, this event will be very different to any other swimming championships."
650 athletes from 120 different countries will be in Manchester for the 5 day event which will be the first world swimming championships of its kind to ever be staged in the UK.
The eyes of the world will be on Manchester as some of the planet's best swimmers use the Championships to hone their skills for the Olympic Games in Beijing just a few months later.
The event will cost £4million to stage and is being supported by Manchester City Council, the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), UK Sport and British Swimming.
Commercial Director for British Swimming, Katie Brazier says: "This is a very important event not only for the city of Manchester but for the UK in the run up to Beijing and the 2012 Olympic Games. It will provide our athletes with the opportunity to compete against the world on home soil with the advantages this brings, a chance for our coaches to experience the pressure of the international stage and give us the opportunity to increase the knowledge and expertise of our officials and volunteers. We will also be expecting the world's top athletes with the USA team already committed to coming."
John Scott, UK Sport's International Director, says: "We are delighted to be supporting this event with up to £950,000 from our National Lottery funded World Class Events Programme and look forward to working in partnership to make the event the best ever. Manchester has a great reputation for staging sports events and in 2008 the city will host a total of three World Championships - all with the support of the World Class Events Programme. In addition to the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), Manchester will also welcome the World Track Cycling Championships and the World Squash Championships."
Peter Mearns, NWDA Director of Marketing says: "The economic benefits of the FINA World Swimming Championships will be considerable, with an additional 60,000 people expected to visit the region during the five-day event. The NWDA is proud to be associated with this world-class sporting event, the benefits of which will be felt across the whole Northwest."
The FINA World Swimming Championships 2008 will be held in FINA's Centenary Year and the direct economic benefit for Manchester's economy will be in the region of £3.2 million.
Project Director Peter Knowles adds: "This will be the biggest single sporting event to be held in Manchester since the 2002 Commonwealth Games and will once again be seen by television viewers right around the world - re-enforcing the city's reputation on the world's sporting stage."
500 volunteers will be involved in the Championships which will also include a major legacy programme.
5 Times World Swimming Champion and Mancunian James Hickman says: "I am really excited about the FINA World Swimming Championships coming to Manchester. It's the event I won five consecutive gold medals in so it's very special to me personally.
"We want to take this event to a new level. The team involved have a fantastic vision for Manchester 2008 - one that will make swimming more entertaining and exciting than it has ever been before. In some ways I wish I could still be part of it as a swimmer."
Ends
• For further information, please contact Ashley Byrne on (07702) 155397 or James Hickman on 07775838020. Or e-mail ashley.byrne@m2008.org or james.hickman@m2008.org
The 9th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) will be held at the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England from April 9th to 13th 2008. For further information please contact: WSCO8 Press Officers Ashley Byrne + 44 7702 155397 or James Hickman on + 44 7775 838020 or e-mail ashley.byrne@m2008.org or james.hickman@m2008.org
FINA is the world governing body for Aquatics (Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo, Open Water and Masters) and has 194 national member federations. Manchester will stage the 9th FINA Swimming World Championships in the same year that FINA celebrates its Centenary. Current Official Partners of the 9th FINA Swimming World Championships (25m) 2008 are Yakult, AstralPool and Omega.
The 9th FINA World Swimming Championships, Manchester 2008 is being delivered through a funding partnership that includes…
Manchester City Council - Following the success of the XVII Commonwealth Games in 2002, Manchester has developed a worldwide reputation for hosting major international events that benefit the community by attracting visitors and investment to the city. The event is one of three world championships coming to the City in 2008 along with the World Track Cycling Championships and the Hi-Tec World Squash Championships, as well as the UEFA Cup Final.
British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain. It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales. (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association) British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the economic development and regeneration of England"s Northwest and is responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region's outstanding quality of life
UK Sport's National Lottery funded World Class Events Programme aims to secure sporting events of strategic importance that deliver a range of lasting benefits. These include economic, social and cultural benefits as well as improving sporting performance by home athletes, encouraging participation and leaving a legacy of facilities and development initiatives. Over 100 sporting events have been staged in the UK through the Programme since 1997. More at www.uksport.gov.uk.