I f***ing love swimming, not too fussed about this short course stuff but will be keenly tuning in when the olympics comes round, I'd go as far to say that it's my favourite blue riband event at the Olympics, certainly more enjoyable than the Athletics.
Difference being this is the Short course 25M World Champs as apposed to usual long course 50M.....although saying that, they could have just built a temporary pontoon
I was the FIRST person to get barred from the King Alfred when it re-pened with the indoor slide (not the twisty ones) Must be the early 80's.......for fighting........with my brother. Nothing changed there!!!
Swimming in the sea's fun though, unless it's freezing cold &/or you spend most of the time dodging floating turds like. Oh, & then there's sharks ain't there. Actually, swimming is
Right, just to put a couple of points straight re swimming / Manchester facilities.
I'm working at the swimming , having set off for manchester at 5.30 yesterday, after THREE hours sleep, having got back from Southend late.
1. The Manchester Aquatics Centre is a decent enough venue, and is a 50m pool with a two traversable booms, meaning it can accomodate a 25m competition pool at the centre if required.
2. The MAC seats around 900 people. It had 1200 seats for the Commonwealths which I also worked at, but that included temporary seats built over the diving pool.
3. The current pool set up at the MEN seats 8,000 and is sold out at the weekend.
4. The temporary pool at the MEN cost the council £600k and they will sell it after the event for an estimated £130k.
5. Due to the build up / strip down time of the temporary pool, the MEN has been booked out for 35 days, for the 5 day event.
6. The PA system, lighting, concessions, hospitality and public areas at the MEN are massively, massively superior to anything the MAC could provide.
7. FINA would not have awarded the event to the MAC.
8. Hosting the event will cost Manchester City Council £5m, of which grants and tickets will only cover about £3m. The benefits to the city in hotel and retail spend should easily make up for the shortfall though.
9. Manchester held the World Cycling Championships last month, and as well as the swimming, will also host the World Squash Championships, the Paralympic World Cup and the Uefa Cup Final this year.
10. Yes, swimming is mostly pretty dull to watch. This event is less dull than most though.