Today marks 100 days until the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games begin. Celebrating this significant milestone, Paralympics swimmers and an Olympic diver tested out the facilities at the new and completed Sandwell Aquatics centre.
The new venue has been constructed for the biggest major multi-sport event, which is taking place this summer. Sandwell Aquatics Centre includes a 50m Olympic-sized swimming pool, a 25m diving pool and a community pool. The impressive facility will be in use for all eleven days of the sporting competition, and once the Games have finished, the venue will be transformed into a community leisure facility – for locals to enjoy for years to come. The planned conversion has created an incredible opportunity for local club swimmers to join the celebrations and test out the incredible 50m pool.
Birmingham 2022 celebrates 100 days to go at Sandwell Aquatics Centre, Birmingham. © Birmingham 2022
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see around 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories as they compete in 19 different sports and eight para-sports. The 100-day milestone celebrates the brand-new Sandwell Aquatics Centre and the release of the major ticket sale for all the sports competing across the Games.
Paralympic swimming legend, Ellie Simmonds, who is also a Birmingham 2022 Board Member, visited the centre on Tuesday and highlighted why this was such a key moment for the Games: “With 100 days to go until the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games begin, it is fantastic news that the Sandwell Aquatics Centre is now complete, and it is amazing to be back here to see the finished facility.
“This is an important and proud moment for everyone associated with Birmingham 2022 and having swimmers and divers in the pools for the very first time makes the Games feel real. We’ve also taken this opportunity to put tickets back on sale, but for sports like aquatics, which has been hugely popular during our ballots and general sale, tickets are limited, so I’d urge everyone to secure their seat right now.”
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see around 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories as they compete in 19 different sports and eight para-sports. The 100-day milestone celebrates the brand-new Sandwell Aquatics Centre and the release of the major ticket sale for all the sports competing across the Games.
Paralympic swimming legend, Ellie Simmonds, who is also a Birmingham 2022 Board Member, visited the centre on Tuesday and highlighted why this was such a key moment for the Games: “With 100 days to go until the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games begin, it is fantastic news that the Sandwell Aquatics Centre is now complete, and it is amazing to be back here to see the finished facility.
“This is an important and proud moment for everyone associated with Birmingham 2022 and having swimmers and divers in the pools for the very first time makes the Games feel real. We’ve also taken this opportunity to put tickets back on sale, but for sports like aquatics, which has been hugely popular during our ballots and general sale, tickets are limited, so I’d urge everyone to secure their seat right now.”
”Birmingham 2022 will level up access to sport and champion the West Midlands to the world. It is not too late to snap up tickets for this sporting spectacular.
Nadine Dorries, MPSecretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
The construction of the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, which is located in Smethwick, just a few miles from Birmingham, has been overseen by Sandwell Council and Tony McGovern, Director of Regeneration & Growth said: “We are very proud to celebrate the completion of the state-of-the-art Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Smethwick. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our construction partners, who worked diligently throughout the project and a global pandemic to complete this venue on time and on budget.
“We are incredibly excited to be part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to celebrate Sandwell on a global stage as the proud host venue for the swimming, Para swimming and diving events for the Games. We want the whole community in Sandwell and beyond to benefit from the world-class swimming and diving facilities at this fantastic new facility. More than that, the new Aquatics Centre is supporting our vision to boost the health and wellbeing of our communities, driving economic growth and regeneration, and improving transport links.”
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “It is fantastic that with 100 days to go, Sandwell Aquatics Centre is ready for competition – completed on time and within budget. The venue is just one of the ways in which Birmingham 2022 will level up access to sport and champion the best of the West Midlands to the world. It is not too late to snap up tickets for this sporting spectacular.”
Dame Louise Martin said: “As we reach the final sprint, Birmingham and the West Midlands should be enormously proud of all the Games progress to date. The Sandwell Aquatics Centre is an impressive, world-class, community-focused facility and I’ve no doubt all remaining tickets will be in high demand when they go back on sale today.”
Deborah Cadman, Chief Executive at Birmingham City Council, said: “We’ve come so far over the last four years since Birmingham was named as Proud Host City for the Commonwealth Games. The hard work put in by everyone involved is clear to see and the finishing touches are now being made to ensure the city and wider region are a perfect platform to bring people together for the biggest event to be staged in our history.”
”This is our chance to be bold and deliver a golden decade of opportunities for Birmingham.
Deborah CadmanChief Executive - Birmingham City Council
The completed Sandwell Aquatics Centre will host a couple of events ahead of the Games. On April 30th, Sandwell Council will oversee a community swimming gala, and from May 20th to May 22nd, Birmingham 2022, will stage a series of test events. These test events will include swimming and diving training sessions and a swimming competition. To hype community spirit for the Games this summer, tickets will be allocated to local resistance and the swimming community,
Tickets for every sport taking place at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games are now back on sale, with prices starting from £8 for under 16s and £15 for adults. For ticket information click here
