Glasgow to co-host European Sports Championships

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome will host track cycling during the Championships. Picture: Jane Barlow

Many of the venues from the 2014 Commonwealth Games will be at the centre of the action again with the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Tollcross International Swimming Centre and Strathclyde Park set to feature.

The event has been created by sports governing bodies who believe a joint event will increase audiences and sponsorship opportunities.

The European Championships of swimming, diving, cycling, rowing and triathlon will be staged in Scotland, and there is the possibility that golf could be added to the event and played at Gleneagles.

Almost 3,000 athletes are set to compete in Scotland, with a further 1,500 taking part in the athletics European Championships in Berlin as part of the venture, which will take place across 10 to 12 days.

Swimming will take place at Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow, diving and synchronised swimming at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh and open water swimming at Loch Lomond.

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome will host track cycling, Cathkin Braes Mountain Bike Trails will be used for cross-country, the streets of Glasgow for the road disciplines and a BMX track will be built in the city for the fourth cycling discipline.

Rowing and triathlon will be staged at Strathclyde Country Park.

The giant Tunnock’s teacakes that proved a hit in the opening ceremony of Glasgow 2014 could also make a comeback in 2018 as the European Sports Championships will host its own opening celebration in George Square.

The event is funded jointly by the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council as part of the Commonwealth Games legacy project.

Sports minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Last summer Scotland showed the world what a tremendous job it can do when it comes to staging major sporting events, with the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup both hugely successful.

“As part of the legacy of those events, we want to attract even more top-class sport to Scotland, and the European Sports Championships is certainly in that category.

“The European Sports Championships will be another chance for Scotland to prove it’s the perfect stage for top class events.

“Not only will this be a fantastic opportunity for Scottish sports fans to see some of Europe’s top athletes competing in our world-class venues, it will also attract visitors from around the continent, providing a great boost to the economy.”

Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson said: “I am delighted that Glasgow has been chosen by such prestigious sporting bodies to stage this new and exciting event in partnership with our friends in Berlin.

“We have been chosen because of our excellence and innovation, and our proven ability to stage world-class events.

“Not to mention, of course, our citizens’ world-famous warm welcome, so superbly demonstrated during the Commonwealth Games, described as the best ever staged.”