Glasgow has been successful in its bid to host the European Short Course Swimming Championships 2019, Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN) has announced.
Delivered in partnership by Glasgow Life on behalf of Glasgow City Council, EventScotland, British Swimming and UK Sport, the Championships will take place in Tollcross International Swimming Centre between 4-8 December 2019.
The biannual event, which was last held in the UK in 1998 in Sheffield, will see athletes from all across Europe make their way to Glasgow to compete in 40 short course (25 metre) swimming events.
Ian Hooper, Glasgow Life’s Director of Sport, said: “Glasgow has a strong reputation for delivering successful swimming events, including the IPC World Swimming Championships 2015, and Duel in the Pool 2013.
“This event will leave a lasting legacy for Glasgow, inspiring a new generation of swimmers and encouraging young people to make the most of our free swimming initiative. It will also provide an early legacy success from Glasgow hosting the 2018 European Championships.
“As one of the top five sporting cities in the world, we are confident our experience in delivering world-class events, and our close relationship with partners, will help us ensure the European Short course Swimming Championships 2019 is a hugely successful and stand-out event.”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “I am delighted Scotland has been awarded the European Short Course Swimming Championships 2019. This is a fantastic event and a great addition to our already impressive calendar of swimming events taking place in the coming years including the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow and the European Junior Championships in Aberdeen in 2020.
“Scotland is the perfect stage for events and securing this bid shows the true legacy provided by the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Glasgow 2018 European Championships. EventScotland, together with the other bid partners, looks forward to working closely with LEN to deliver a truly memorable Championships.
British Swimming Chief Executive, David Sparkes, said: “This is a really important Championships which will be the last event of 2019 – the year before the Olympics in Tokyo.
“We’re delighted that it will be held in Glasgow, following the successful bid and efforts of all partners, and we will be looking forward to seeing some strong performances as new talent emerges on the eve of the Olympic Games.”
Simon Morton, Chief Operating Officer of UK Sport, said: “We are delighted that the UK has been chosen to stage the European Short Course Swimming Championships in 2019. Hosting this event following the incredible success of Team GB in the pool in Rio will allow spectators to see world-class athletes in action before the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
“This event forms part of a UK-wide series of major international events supported by UK Sport, backed by National Lottery funding, to inspire the nation.”
The European Short Course Swimming Championships 2019 builds on the bid partners existing strong partnership with LEN, working together to deliver the Glasgow 2018 European Championships and the European Junior Championships for swimming and diving in Aberdeen in 2020.