Glasgow’s reputation as a host of major sporting events has been further enhanced following a memorable week at the 2016 British Swimming Championships at Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
Some of the biggest names in British swimming including triple world champion Adam Peaty, European and Commonwealth champion Hannah Miley and world and Commonwealth champion Ross Murdoch were among those in action as they continued their preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The British Championships drew to a close on Sunday evening and Glasgow, which will play host to the inaugural European Championships (including the LEN Aquatics Championships) in 2018, once again delivered on the national stage with event organisers and competitors praising the city.
In addition to the British Championships the city has also hosted the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix – the world’s number one indoor athletics event – and the FIG World Cup Gymnastics this year. Preparations are now taking place for the British Para-Swimming International Meet, which will take place at Tollcross between Saturday 23 April and Wednesday 27 April.
Chief Executive of British Swimming, David Sparkes, said: “It has been a fantastic event. We have had some great swims and some great crowds. Glaswegians love sport and they will come and watch it any time. We love to come here because it is always a great atmosphere and there are some great people that we work with.
Looking ahead to the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, he added: “The fans will experience something that they have never experienced before – it will be a significant step change for sport. It is a multi-sport event and some of the best athletes in Europe will be here. It will be phenomenal swimming and we will see world records broken. There will be lots for the crowds to come and see.”
Among those also looking forward to the Glasgow 2018 European Championships is world champion and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Robbie Renwick. He said: “The 2018 European Championships is going to be hugely exciting for everyone. It is all about inspiring the next generation of athletes.
“It was such a great atmosphere at the Commonwealth Games. The Glaswegian people and everyone in Scotland were so proud - they love their sport stars. It is absolutely brilliant having an event like that come here in two years.”
Glasgow will find out this week where it has placed at the 2016 SportBusiness Ultimate Sport City Awards – the internationally recognised global rankings of the world’s top sport hosts. The city was ranked 8th in the 2014 awards and since then it has hosted the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships and World Gymnastics Championships.
Director of Sport at Glasgow Life, Ian Hooper, said: “It has been yet another great week at Tollcross International Swimming Centre as Britain’s top swimmers continued their hard work ahead of the Rio Olympic Games. But we still have much to look forward to not least the British Para-Swimming International Meet.”