Both spectators and competitors will be engaged in a uniquely invigorating atmosphere. “It will be an incredible experience,” says the event’s Head of Public Relations and five-time world swimming champion James Hickman, “and the fact that the Championships are being held in a concert venue will add to the anticipation, with the lighting and sound effects swimming will become very rock ‘n’ roll!” Fans will be treated to visual and audio displays that are described by the event’s Chief Executive Peter Knowles as spectacular; not to mention world class swimming in a world class arena. “We want people to have a fantastic time at the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships in Manchester, so much so that we see them as the audience to our show and not just spectators at a sporting event.” The experience, he says, will be “breathtaking”.
The Manchester event is unique in multiple ways, as the five-day meet will be the first World Swimming Championship of its kind to be staged in the United Kingdom, and with over 800 swimmers from 130 different countries ready to take part, it will also be the biggest World Swimming Championships ever. Moreover, two huge pools are under construction at the M.E.N. Arena, which will be the first music and entertainment venue in the UK to host competitive swimming.
Constructing a spectacular sport venue
The building of the FINA World Championship pools is already complete and construction has proceeded smoothly and ahead of schedule. As of Sunday, March 23, the lights were rigged over the pool and the construction area was ‘dressed’ for the Championships and prepared for pool instalment. Not even a week had passed before the pools were in place and ready to be filled with water. On Thursday, March 27, the taps were tuned on and the 56 hour process of filling the pools commenced. Over the following six days the pools were heated to a temperature between 25 and 28 degrees. FINA partner AstralPool is the company behind the pool construction and United Utilities, official supplier for the event, are providing more than two million litres of water and helping remove it after the event. It will take 24 hours to drain the pool.The stages that followed involved laying the decking and carpets and installation of necessary vision and audio equipment, followed by the building of the medals podium and media area at the back of the arena, which will hold 200 international journalists during the Championships. As of Monday, March 31, construction of the athlete entry staircase was also underway; the light and sound systems were complete, as were the Swiss Timing Booth and the competition equipment. “All in all the venue build is going swimmingly,” reports Mr. Knowles. All work is scheduled to be complete and ready for the official opening ceremony on Friday, April 4, 2008, but in the meantime, the momentous task of creating the pools can be viewed from the organising committee’s live web camera.
2008 World Short Course Championships Links
- Omega Timing Results
- Competition Schedule
- Free Streaming Video (if you live in the USA - Others, FINA may have a webcast for your area)
- A temporary pool has been built inside the Manchester Evening News Arena
