Rio 2016 swimming stars to compete in Sheffield

14th November 2016

Sheffield audiences will be able to see top aquatic stars from Rio 2016 in action next year when the city plays host to two of the most prestigious events in the swimming calendar.

Olympic Champion Adam Peaty and medallists Jazz Carlin, James Guy, Duncan Scott and Siobhan-Marie O'Connor look set compete in the British Swimming Championships at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in April 2017. Paralympic champions Ellie Simmons, Ellie Robinson and Bethany Firth are also expected to take to the Olympic-size 50m pool when the world-class venue welcomes the British Para-Swimming International Meet. The British Championships, taking place from 18 to 23 April, will be used as the British selection trials for the World Championships, European Junior Championships and European Youth Olympic Festival. The British Para-Swimming International Meet, from 27 to 30 April, will be the sole selection event for para-swimmers to qualify for the 2017 IPC Swimming World Championships in Mexico. Councillor Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Culture Parks and Leisure at Sheffield City Council said: -We're delighted to host such high profile events on the swimming calendar here in Sheffield following some fantastic performances in the pools in Rio. This is once again testament to our reputation as a city of sport and to the high quality facilities available here. "Welcoming these inspirational sports stars to Sheffield is great news for our local economy and attracting visitors but also for increasing sports participation across the city. "This further demonstrates our Olympic Legacy commitment, to get more people more active and I'm sure that these events and the amazing athletes competing, will inspire a whole new generation of swimmers." Dominic Stokes, head of SIV events at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, said: -We're thrilled to be welcoming such high profile names to Sheffield after their fantastic performances at the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics and they have once again put competitive swimming in the limelight. -Sheffield has harnessed a reputation for being a city of sport and what better way to showcase this than by hosting these two prestigious events, which will both have a significant impact on the local economy and showcase the fantastic facilities we have on offer. -It will be the first time the swimmers have competed at a major event on home soil since the Olympics and we're delighted that Ponds Forge has been chosen. British Swimming National Performance Director Chris Spice said: -Sheffield has an amazing tradition and it's great to be going back for the British Championships next year. On the back of Rio we know there will be some fast swimming. -Sheffield knows how to run major events well and we look forward to working closely with them to bring the best Championships for our fans and swimmers. Ponds Forge's Olympic-sized 50m competition pool area has seating for 2,600 spectators and a 25m diving pool, which is the deepest in the UK. The venue boasts a HD Swiss Timing Daktronics scoreboard and attracts around one million visitors a year. Tickets for the events are now on sale. For more information, visit https://siv.org.uk/ponds-forge or call 0114 223 3400.