Surrey Sports Park and Guildford City Swimming Club pool resources

Wednesday 22 July 2009

The multi-million pound Surrey Sports Park, which is owned by the University of Surrey, is due to open early in 2010 and will be one of the country’s premier training facilities ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.

The agreement will see GCSC become a key partner to the world class facilities with the Club’s High Performance Squads being based at the Surrey Sports Park from next year. Leading coaching staff from the swimming club, led by GCSC Chief Coach Richard Garfield, will also focus on developing the University of Surrey Swim Squad with the aim of producing and nurturing elite level swimming talent.

In addition the club will provide tuition and training for swimmers of all levels and, as part of the development of swimming within the South East region, Guildford City Swimming Club will also provide a number of sessions to other local clubs as part of the ASA Swim 21 Hub Club Training scheme.

Commenting on the agreement, Surrey Sports Park, Managing Director, Jason Harborow, said: “A major part of the planning of the Surrey Sports Park was the commitment to swimming. The new pool will be our flagship facility and in addition to helping our elite swimmers, this partnership will open up new opportunities for swimmers of all ages and abilities in the area and thanks to the accessibility of the Sports Park, disabled swimmers will also be able to enjoy the benefits.”

GCSC Chief Coach, Richard Garfield added: “The new 50 metre pool at the Surrey Sports Park is exactly what swimming in Guildford, Surrey and the South East needs. The desperate shortage of facilities of this size and quality has greatly restricted the opportunities for aspiring swimmers in the region for many years. With London 2012 just three years away, aspiring swimmers in the area will have the opportunity to experience the same conditions as Olympic athletes something that has previously not been possible in this county.”

The Sports Park’s 50m pool, the first indoor in Surrey, will benefit from a number of high tech features that will make it one of the top training pools in the country including a traversable boom and moveable floor enabling the pool to be used in a variety of configurations. The boom can be used to divide the pool into two 25-metre sections, or to facilitate a 30-metre waterpolo pitch. The adjustable floor enables the depth of the pool to be altered to between 0 and 2 metres in depth.

The Surrey Sports Park has already been registered as a suitable training venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 but as well as catering for elite athletes it will also provide the best and most up to date sport and facilities for anyone interested in sport and fitness.

For more images of the swimming pool and for progress of the Surrey Sports Park, keep an eye on www.surreysportspark.co.uk

Media Enquiries

Peter La, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 689191, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk