The European Swimming League (Ligue Européenne de Natation, LEN), Scottish Swimming and Event Scotland have announced that the 2020 LEN European Junior Championships will take place at the Aberdeen Sports Village Aquatic Center in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Although the country of Scotland has hosted the Diving World Series, Commonwealth Games and IPC World Championships, 2020 will mark the first time Aberdeen, Scotland’s third most populous city, will play host to swimmers and divers. The Aquatics Center, which opened in 2014, features a 10-lane 50m pool and 6-lane 25m pool, along with full Olympic standard diving facilities of springboards and platforms. Between the competitive pool and diving section, the site can accommodate 630 spectators.
Of the announcement, British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes said: “We are excited to welcome the LEN European Junior Championships to the UK. This event will no doubt be the biggest competition athletes of that age group will have competed at. Aberdeen Sports Village will provide everything the athletes could need and I know we will see some excellent performances throughout the competition.”
Jan Griffiths, Acting Chief Executive, Aberdeen Sports Village commented: “Aberdeen Sports Village is absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the hosting of the 2020 Championships. We are very much looking forward to working with our partners to deliver a world-class event, and welcoming Europe’s top junior swimmers and divers to the City”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the European Junior Championships 2020 in Aberdeen. We look forward to welcoming the swimming stars of the future to compete in Scotland, the perfect stage for events such as this.”
The European Junior Championships takes place annually and is solely for females aged 15-16 years and males 17-18 years. The competition, which typically takes place over 5 days, was first held in Linköping, Sweden in 1967 and has since taken place all over Europe. The 2015 edition of the championships was unique in that it was actually replaced by this year’s inaugural European Games, which were held in Baku, Azerbaijan. However, ongoing, the European Games will be a separate competition now taking place every 4 years, still encompassing more than 30 sports.
Next year’s European Junior Championships will take place in Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary, with 2017’s edition slated to take place in Netanya, Israel, this year’s site of the European Short Course Championships.