Well positioned to make a big splash

NATIONAL AQUATIC CENTRE:  Yesterday's opening of the National Aquatic Centre marks a turning point, not only for Irish swimming, but perhaps the whole of Irish sport.

As a facility it simply inspires excellence, the sort of place you might previously have seen somewhere in Europe and wondered why Ireland had nothing similar.

With one obvious exception the days still linger where Irish hopes of a swimming medal at the Olympics are drowned before they even hit the pool because of the lack of proper training facilities. With this, the country's best swimmers can train to win rather than just take part. No more excuses on that part.

And there were, mercifully, no shortcuts in the construction. The 50-metre pool with submersible floors meets all the international competition standards set by FINA. The 25-metre diving pool, with five different diving heights, meets the same standards. Together, the two pools can cater for swimming, diving, water polo and synchronised swimming events.

With seating for 2,500 spectators and the electronic timing system, plus drugs testing, marshalling and scoring facilities, the overwhelming sense is of a venue for the serious, competitive swimmer.

In June, the Special Olympics will provide the first full house, followed in December by the European Short Course Championships, and both events couldn't have found a more worthy home.

While Ireland still has a limited capacity to attract international sporting events, and all the commercial interests that go with them, the National Aquatic Centre is a fine example of what can be done.

The revamped Croke Park was immediately recognised as a world-class facility, but as long as the GAA resist the temptation to allow other sporting events in then most international federations will still be forced to look elsewhere when it comes to finding host nations.

Pat Hickey, president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, told a story at the opening about his recent meeting with the head of the European swimming body.

"He was so amazed they were actually going to an event in Ireland," said Hickey, "because in all of his career in office he never even heard of an event going to Ireland.

"And I know that once Ireland bid for some event when they have something like this they will almost win automatically. Everyone wants to come to Ireland because of the craic and the attitude of the people, so this sort of facility is a total winner."

Hickey probably knows as much as there is to know about the bidding process for major sporting events, something now consumed into the Olympic ideal.

"I see this facility as a huge example to other federations," he added. "And even though Campus Ireland is on hold at the moment, I think when people come here and see this place, and see the magnificence of it, then they would be much more amenable to the rest of Campus Ireland being constructed.

"And I think for the future this could also be the start of us sowing a seed to get the full Olympic facilities, like what was proposed with Campus Ireland, and to eventually make an Olympic bid."

The only thing missing from yesterday's opening was a recognisable face from Irish swimming. The sport has endured its share of problems over the last decade, and is now in real need of success on the world stage.

Right now, however, swimming as a competitive sport in Ireland doesn't have the luxury of any role models.

John Treacy, the chief executive of the Irish Sports Council, made the point that greater participation is the key to a higher class of competitive swimmer. The National Aquatic Centre invites participation on every level.

The accompanying water park is primarily designed to make the aquatic centre commercially viable, but is also designed for fun. There are seven themed rides and, by noon yesterday, school buses had already spilled a couple of hundred kids into the area and there was no one sitting by the poolside looking bored.

Making an Irish Olympic team in swimming remains a real challenge, but at least now it has been made a little more realistic.

To date, almost all the Irish swimming Olympians were Irish record holders at the time. For the last four Olympics, Ireland had 16 swimmers in total, and only four at the last Games in Sydney.

For many other potential Olympians, the sacrifices were too much.Those sacrifices usually meant travelling abroad, either to attend a US university or to find better training facilities.Between the aquatic centre and the Limerick pool there are now enough reasons to stay in Ireland.

Swim Ireland will get an average of three and half hours a day to use the pool for elite training and competitions.

Treacy is particularly enthusiastic about the European Short Course championships, to be staged on December 11th-14th, and which be televised by TG4.

"It demonstrates that Dublin can be a centre for swimming. And if we get youngsters coming to look at that, then they could be back in few years time competing themselves.

"This facility also shows what can be done when it comes to sporting facilities in Ireland. Hopefully down the road we can see more facilities being built out here. And there is a need for more sporting facilities in Ireland on a par with this, and especially indoor training facilities."

And one last point: as everyone should know, every strong swimmer has the potential to save a life.