National Swimmming Championships

Sunderland Aquatic Centre will play host to the country?s top swimmers as it prepares to host the British Gas ASA National Championships 2010 in August.

The competition, which takes place from 18th ? 21st August, will be the final qualification event for the 2009 Commonwealth Games and athletes will be looking to put in fast times in order to gain their place on the teams destined for Delhi.

It is the first time the North East will play host to a national swimming championships and alongside local athletes Jessica Dickons and Ian Hulme other top swimmers, including double Olympic Champion Rebecca Adlington and World Champion Liam Tancock, will travel to fight for their place on the Commonwealth Games team.

The ASA Events Manager Lucy Rouse is looking forward to holding the prestigious event in the new facility and giving more people the opportunity to see the sport.

?It is really exciting to be holding the British Gas National Championships 2010 at the Sunderland Aquatic Centre,? Rouse said. ?It is the first time that the ASA have held a national championship in Sunderland and it will be great to make use of the impressive new pool. We are looking forward to working alongside Sunderland City Council to produce a top class event and we thank them for their support in producing this competition.

?By holding the competition in a new city we are encouraging more people to see the sport and our swimming heroes will hopefully inspire the people of the North East into the pool.?

Cllr Paul Watson, Leader Sunderland City Council commented: ?That the ASA chose to bring such a prestigious and significant event to Sunderland Aquatic Centre demonstrates that we really do have a world-class facility to be proud of. As well as being a community pool for Sunderland people, it was always hoped that our 50m pool would attract high-calibre national and international events such as this to our city.

?I?m sure that our city will be as proud as I am to greet the athletes and spectators and will give them a warm Sunderland welcome.?

The Sunderland Aquatic Centre was opened in 2008 and is located next to the home of Sunderland Football Club. The 50m pool boasts the most hi-tech equipment and facilities and has a total of 10 lanes.

Paul Young, Sunderland Aquatic Centre Manager said: ?I?m really excited that this high profile event is coming to the Sunderland Aquatic Centre in August. The Aquatic Centre team and I are looking forward to working with the ASA on the British Gas ASA National Championships and supporting them to ensure the event is a great success.

?Having a national event coming to the pool will really showcase the facility to the nation, and demonstrate its full potential. I?m really pleased to hear that all the top British swimmers will be competing in the event, including some Olympic medallists. These Championships are hugely significant, being the final qualification event for the Commonwealth Games.

?I really hope that the Championships in Sunderland will be inspirational to local swimmers of all abilities and will further raise the profile of swimming.?

Cllr James Blackburn, Member with Portfolio for Attractive and Inclusive City commented: ?It?s exciting news that Sunderland is to host such an important event. Sunderland City Council has invested in excellent sport and leisure facilities recently, including the 50m Sunderland Aquatic Centre and two 25m community pools. Attracting high-profile events such as this showcase Sunderland?s many positive attributes and benefit local businesses.

?Encouraging and supporting our residents to improve their health and wellbeing by taking regular exercise is high on the City Council?s agenda. What better way to encourage people to start swimming is there than seeing members of the Olympic Swimming team in their local pool??

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 (ASA), Scotland (Scottish ASA) and Wales. (Welsh ASA) British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.