British swimming clubs that book group tickets for the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) by the end of May will gain automatic entry into a competition to win free training time at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

From this Saturday (12 May), every club that makes a group booking for ten or more people at any session will be contacted to answer a series of questions.

Clubs answering all the questions correctly will then be entered into a draw and ten lucky clubs will win exclusive 'swim-time' at the venue of the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Five-time World Swimming Champion James Hickman, who is heavily involved in organisation of the 2008 World Championships, believes the competition offers a brilliant opportunity for clubs to train at a world-class facility.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for clubs to get the chance to train in the world famous Manchester Aquatics Centre, the very venue in which so many great medals were won in the 2002 Commonwealth Games," he said.

The 9th FINA World Swimming Championships will be held at the M.E.N Arena from the 9th to 13th April 2008.

Manchester 2008 has provided an exclusive booking period for friends of British Swimming to enable British supporters to sit close to one another. For club group bookings call 0871 230 9864, or book online at www.ticketmaster.co.uk For further ticket information log onto www.manchester2008.com

Competition winners will be announced on 20 June. For full competition terms and conditions, go to www.manchester2008.org

-ENDS-

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 Officer Ashley Byrne + 44 7702 155397 or e-mail ashley.byrne@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 UCI Track Cycling World 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
More at www.nwda.co.uk

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.