Monday 27 November 2000
Work has begun today (Monday 27 November) on the £6.4m National Swimming Academy at the University of Stirling, which will for the first time give Scotland's elite swimmers dedicated access to training and competition facilities.
To mark the event Scottish Paralympic Gold Medallist Kenny Cairns turned a symbolic turf on the new site. He commented, "This will be a superb addition to our training facilities and will allow Scottish swimmers to remain at the leading edge of world swimming."
The state of the art 50 metre, 6 lane pool with moveable floor and bulkhead, converting the facility to 2 x 25 metre pools will be the training home for Scotland's future elite athletes. Supported by a £3m award from sportscotland Lottery Fund and developed in partnership with the Scottish Institute of Sport, Scottish Swimming and the University of Stirling, it will provide, for the first time ever, dedicated quality training facilities for Scotland's elite athletes.
Following the recent successes in Sydney the Academy will also be a further welcome addition to British Swimming's elite disability programme. Athletes will have access to a world class support infrastructure through specialised coaching, weight training and dry land performance areas, as well as dedicated sports science and sports medicine support. Scottish Swimming's headquarters, currently based in Glasgow, will also be relocated to the new building.
"The pool will significantly enhance the University's already outstanding facility provision."
Chris Martin, Scotland's National Swimming Coach, commented, "This is one of the most exciting days since I arrived in Scotland. The new facility will provide our swimmers with dedicated quality water in the superb environment of the University of Stirling. At long last we will have a facility with the appropriate access that can make a difference to our athletes at world level.
"The facility will not only cater for the elite. Its unique design and inherent flexibility will allow for access by swimmers from throughout Scotland as well as local clubs and the wider community."
University of Stirling's Professor Mike Jackson said, "This is a proud day for the University. The pool will significantly enhance the University's already outstanding facility provision. It will also be a terrific facility for the Stirling area and confirms the University's commitment and support for elite sport after winning the bid to host the Scottish Institute of Sport headquarters."
Alastair Dempster, Chairman of sportscotland, said: "A total of eleven medals for young swimmers at this year's Commonwealth Youth Games showed that we have the ability to build on the successes of top Olympic swimmers such as Alison Sheppard and Paralympians Kenny Cairns and Margaret McEleny.
"This excellent new facility, with dedicated access for elite athletes, will provide the specialist training and support necessary to take these youngsters and help them achieve sustainable world class performances, helping to create more positive role models for future generations.
"The National Swimming Academy is part of over £16 million of Lottery funds so far invested by sportscotland to provide and improve swimming facilities in Scotland."
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sportscotland Lottery Fund has made an award of £2,990,000 to support the provision of a National Swimming Academy. To date, sportscotland has contributed over £90 million towards the provision and improvement of sports facilities in Scotland and with matching funding in place has generated over £260 million of new investment in Scottish sports facilities.
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The National Swimming Academy in Stirling represents sportscotland's second largest lottery award to a sports facility in Scotland.
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Phase 1 of the National Swimming Academy is due to be complete at the end of 2001 ; this consists of the new pool and Scottish Swimming's offices. Phase 2, the refurbishment of the existing pool into dry land facilities, is due for completion in the Summer of 2002. * Faulkner Brown, architects of Ponds Forge in Sheffield and the new Commonwealth Pool in Manchester, have designed the National Swimming Academy.
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The main contractors are Balfour Beatty.
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Scottish Swimming is the National Governing Body for all aquatic sports in Scotland. It currently has 165 clubs throughout the Country and provides opportunities for swimmers at all levels.