Another significant milestone has been reached at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Smethwick after the dive tower, which will be used for the diving competition at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, was completed at the end of January.
The dive tower, which took five weeks to build, includes 31 separate English made, concrete pieces weighing 233 tonnes in total. The structure is 10m high and took five people 2000 hours to build.
The diving competition at Birmingham 2022 includes 1m and 3m springboard events, and the 10m platform event for men and women, as well as the 3m springboard and 10m platform synchronised events. For the first time ever at a Commonwealth Games, there will also be mixed synchronised 3m springboard and mixed synchronised 10m platform diving included on the programme.
Australia has a tremendous record of winning diving medals at the Commonwealth Games having previously won 118 medals, including 37 golds, 42 silvers and 39 bronze medals.
The Sandwell Aquatics Centre will host swimming and Para-swimming at the Commonwealth Games from 29 July to 3 August and the diving competition from 4 August to 8 August. With 66 medal events in total set to be held at the facility, it will be the stage for more medal moments than any other Birmingham 2022 venue.
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As it is such a crucial facility for the Games, Birmingham 2022 Chief Executive Ian Reid has been carefully following progress over the last 18 months.
“This is another key milestone in the construction of the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, the only brand new venue for Birmingham 2022,” Reid said.
“The progress on this facility is clear for everyone to see and it is remarkable how much has been achieved in the space of 12 months.
“The dive tower looks incredible and I’m sure its completion will really help to focus the minds of those divers looking to compete at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in 18 months’ time.”
Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Smethwick which will be used for the diving competition at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. (Birmingham 2022)
The £73 million project is being funded by several partners. Sandwell Council is contributing £27 million, with £38.5 million coming from the overall Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games budget. A further £7.6 million is funded by other external partners Sport England, Black Country LEP, Sandwell Leisure Trust (SLT) and University of Wolverhampton.
Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Dame Louise Martin DBE believes the completion of the diving tower is another significant milestone heading towards Birmingham 2022.
“The completion of the dive tower at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre is another exciting milestone as we progress towards Birmingham 2022,” Martin said.
“I believe this state-of-the-art facility will be one of the outstanding legacies of the Commonwealth Games.
“In addition to jobs and investment for Sandwell, the local community will benefit immeasurably from having a world-class facility that has a 50m swimming pool, a 25m diving pool and a community swimming pool, in addition to seats for up to 1,000 spectators.
“As we begin to look optimistically ahead to the Games, I have no doubt that the Sandwell Aquatics Centre will provide the perfect stage for the world’s top athletes to showcase the very best of Commonwealth Sport.”
