Glasgow will host the 2018 LEN European Championships for swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and open water swimming after the LEN Bureau voted in favour of the Scottish city after the bidding process.
The continental showcase will visit Scotland for the very first time in its history with LEN President Paolo Barelli announcing the result after the LEN Bureau meeting held in Berlin during the 2014 European Championships.
The decision also means that the next two editions of the European Championships will take place in Great Britain, with the 2016 event being staged at London Aquatics Centre.
- Paolo Barelli"Everyone had the chance to watch the outstanding success of the Commonwealth Games, recently held in the city,"
“The LEN Bureau acted in this sense while choosing Glasgow. Everyone had the chance to watch the outstanding success of the Commonwealth Games, recently held in the city. Organising that event at such a high level is a kind of guarantee for us for 2018.
“We are very much looking forward to see our European Championships being hosted in wonderful venues in 2018 and our great athletes of the four disciplines enjoying the warm hospitality of the people of Scotland.
“LEN is envisioning the need to allocate our most important events well in advance in order to secure enough time to our hosts to prepare everything the best possible way and be ready to stage a wonderful show, worthy of a worldwide success.”
Chief Executive of British Swimming David Sparkes added: “British Swimming is delighted to be working again with Glasgow and the Scottish Government on another major event in the city.
- David Sparkes"We will now work with the team in Glasgow to deliver a fantastic European Championships in 2018." -
“This will provide our emerging stars with another great opportunity to showcase their talent to the British public.”
Forbes Dunlop, CEO of Scottish Swimming, is looking forward to the opportunity major events provide to profile Scottish Swimming.
He said: "I would like to say a big thank you to Glasgow, the Scottish Government, British Swimming and Event Scotland who have worked hard to secure this event. With the IPC World Championships in 2015 and now the Europeans in 2018 we have a great opportunity to build on the profile and developments that the Commonwealth Games offered."
Scottish swimmer Hannah Miley - who defended her Commonwealth 400m Individual Medley title in Glasgow earlier this month, said: "It’s great that Glasgow has been awarded the 2018 European Championships. Having seen how good the facilities were at Tollcross and the way Glasgow was set up for the Commonwealth Games, I’m really looking forward to 2018.
"It’s wonderful that the UK will be hosting the next two European Championships with London in 2016 and now Glasgow. It will be a great showcase for world class swimming and good exposure for the sport."