The_Torch Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 The BBC just broadcast an interview with a representative from the City of Birmingham Council. Team USA have signed a memorandum of understanding with Birmingham to use this city as their London 2012 holding camp. Birmingham has excellent Track & Field facilities to offer team USA. However, it would appear that Birmingham does not have a 50m swimming pool - and this is one of the UK's largest cities! The Council representative said that this problem will be discussed at length in the coming months in attempts at finding a solution. Indeed it seems wholly unimaginable that a holding camp be created without swimming facilities for Team USA and their huge swim team. Sadly, British cities suffer from a serious lack of 50m swimming pools, and the problem will need to be directly addressed in the run-up to London 2012. This being said, for all of the $40 billion Beijing spent on their Olympics, the Team GB swimming team were based in Osaka, Japan. With so many nations needing holding camps, surely it's standard practice for holding camps to be used in neighbouring countries? At very least Birmingham should be able to provide a temporary 50m pool. Much like Manchester did for the World Short Course Championships this year. The technology exists to create one, but this option doesn't leave much of a legacy for the city as it will be purely temporary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Maybe the Americans should move their holding camp to Manchester. We have 2 50m swimming pools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Or Sheffield, perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingbrogues Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Strange choice but it may be as a logistical base than for training. There are 50m pools in Coventry and Loughborough, but the one in Cov has seen better days. People do row on Edgbaston reservoir but it's half the length it needs to be so I suppose the rowers will train elsewhere. However there are at least three good running tracks (2 outdoor and the NIA indoor consistently hosts world record performances), scores of indoor gymnasia, lots of hotel rooms, an international airport and a city council desperate enough to lock down half the city centre if team USA demanded it. The gymnasts and the track stars will be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Maybe the Americans should move their holding camp to Manchester. We have 2 50m swimming pools. Lee, if you get someone from your City Council to get serious about this, have them contact someone at the USOC. I am sure this can be started by email. Go to the USOC website. Steal the thunder away from Birmingham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luffy Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Americans swimming team should come in Lens,in the region North of france. They won't be disapointed for sure. We have a unique Swimming Pool! The only meant to be Olympic Swimming pool who is not a Olympic swimming pool because the guys who made it forget to take the tiling into account. No we have a beautiful pool with tiled walls who is something like 49 m 85. :lol: :lol: The mayor and his people were so happy when they discovered it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Chambers Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Norwich also sports a 50m Swimming Pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
its a bid of magic Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Maybe the Americans should move their holding camp to Manchester. We have 2 50m swimming pools. I know the Aquatics Centre for the Commonwealth Games is probably a 50m pool, but where's the other one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobart Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 I think the Aussie swim team will use the same facility they used for Athens in Gremany somewhere they will also go there in the lead up to the world in Rome next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 I know the Aquatics Centre for the Commonwealth Games is probably a 50m pool, but where's the other one? It's in the basement of the Aquatics centre. It's the training pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 Lee, if you get someone from your City Council to get serious about this, have them contact someone at the USOC. I am sure this can be started by email. Go to the USOC website. Steal the thunder away from Birmingham. Have emailed USOC. I wonder if i'll get a reply. I will let you know, Baron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
its a bid of magic Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 It's in the basement of the Aquatics centre. It's the training pool. Ah, cheers. I never knew that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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