Aberdeen to host World Series in 2022

Aberdeen Sports Village’s Aquatics Centre will play host to the Para Swimming World Series in February, with the four-day competition incorporating the domestic British Para-Swimming Meet 2022. 

It means Great Britain’s presence as a mainstay fixture on the new Para Swimming World Series continues, as the best Para swimmers from across the globe are welcomed to the island for a fifth time since the series’ inception in 2017.

Taking place from 17-20 February, Para swimming stars will have the chance to kick-off a packed 2022 season – one that will feature the World Championships in Madeira, Portugal and the Commonwealth Games opportunities in Birmingham, Great Britain - against firm international competition.

The inclusion of the British Para Swimming Meet 2022 running in parallel, meanwhile, also allows for the burgeoning talent in the sport to compete in the very same environment.

With the event held under restricted conditions in 2021 amid the UK Government’s roadmap out of lockdown, Stephen Clegg set a stunning world record in the closing session, while the likes of Reece Dunn, Hannah Russell and Grace Harvey produced race victories that signalled they were on course for Paralympic silverware come the summer.

The learnings from such events are placed firmly at the heart of plans to deliver a COVID-19 safe event in 2022, as competitor numbers increase with the return of the domestic competition element.

Entries for the 2022 event are now open, as of 12pm on Tuesday, 14 December.

“World Para Swimming is extremely happy that Great Britain will continue to be part of the Para Swimming World Series. We have signed a multi-year agreement with British Swimming through to 2024 which represents a great step forward for our sport, Craig Nicholson, Head of World Para Swimming, said.

"It will give World Para Swimming and the nations the possibility to plan the activities during the whole cycle until the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,” Nicholson added.

Commenting on the announcement, British Swimming Associate Performance Director Tim Jones said: “I’m delighted that with the confirmation of this event, we are adding to the legacy of the UK’s reputation as one of the leading Para sport hosts in the world.

“The Para Swimming World Series is a very important competition for us across various levels of the Para swimming pathway. Those athletes challenging for places on senior British teams thrive off the stimulus of racing their international counterparts in the build towards major international meets, and this meet will play a part in selections for 2022’s World Championships in Madeira. Meanwhile, direct head-to-head racing is a vital part of the development of our up-and-coming athletes.”

Graham Morrison, Head of Sport and Events at Aberdeen Sports Village, added:

“Myself and the team are delighted to welcome this event to Aberdeen and we cannot wait to play our part in hosting a fantastic few days of top-class competition.”

Key dates

For swimmers who require classification, all entries must be received by no later than 12pm, Wednesday, 5 January 2022.

For swimmers not requiring classification, all entries must be received by no later than 12pm, Tuesday, 25 January 2022. 

Unfortunately, due to the ongoing nature of COVID-19 and the need to protect athletes, staff and volunteers, the difficult decision has been made that the event in 2022 will again be a closed-door meet, meaning there will not be any spectator seating on sale. Details on how supporters can watch the four days of action will be confirmed in due course.

Further information on entry, classification dates and event conditions, can be found detailed in the entry pack and additional documentation under the coaches tab on the event page here.