Mayor of London Boris Johnson urges fans to snap up tickets as FINA/NVC Diving World Series returns to London
The worlds diving elite will return to the London Aquatics Centre on 1-3 May 2015 for the FINA/NVC Diving World Series.
Building on the success of last year’s event, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will welcome up to 70 athletes, including World and Olympic Champions, across eight events: women's and men's 3m springboard, 10m platform, 3m springboard synchro and 10m platform synchro.
Tickets for the FINA/NVC Diving World Series London will be available for general purchase at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/diving from 11am on Wednesday 25 February 2015. Prices start at £10/£7 for Adults/Under-16s.
Expected to compete for Great Britain are Olympic bronze medallist Tom Daley, double Commonwealth Gold medallist Jack Laugher and European Champion Sarah Barrow.
Joining them will be Chinese contingent Qiu Bo, Kai Qin and Minxia Wu, Russian Ilya Zakharov and Germany’s Patrick Hausding.
The event is the fourth leg of a series that starts in Beijing (CHN) on 13 March, and takes in Dubai (UAE), Kazan (RUS) and Windsor (CAN) before culminating in Mexico City (MEX) at the end of May.
UK Sport have confirmed an investment of up to £120,000 from its National Lottery backed major events programme to support athletes with their preparation and qualification for Rio 2016. The Mayor’s office is also investing up to £100,000 into the event, including funding for a community legacy programme in the surrounding boroughs to increase swimming and diving amongst Londoners.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “London’s awesome Aquatics Centre is becoming a second home for the world’s diving elite and it is great news that the FINA/NVC Diving World Diving Series is returning. I urge people to snap up tickets to this sporting spectacular. We want competitions like this to inspire a new generation of young athletes and to get Londoners to take the plunge.”
Simon Morton, Director of Major Events and International Relations at UK Sport, said:
“The FINA/NVC Diving World Series will give thousands of people the opportunity to witness world class sport first hand and also makes excellent use of an iconic London 2012 venue.
“This is a crucial event as Great Britain’s divers strive to qualify for Rio 2016 and we know they are inspired by a passionate home crowd. I would encourage people to buy tickets and go along and back our talented athletes on their road to Rio.”
It is the seventh time British Swimming and UK Sport have secured the event in the UK and British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes said: “We look forward to welcoming the best divers in the world back to London. We will work closely with our partners UK Sport, Greater London Authority, the Mayor of London, LLDC and GLL to make this an unmissable competition.
“Diving is an exciting sport to watch and many of those coming will see the world’s best competing just one year out from the Rio Olympic Games.
“The London Aquatics Centre is a fantastic building and really is an iconic part of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. I urge people to come and support our British team but also experience the legacy of the London Olympic Games.”
GLL Deputy Managing Director Peter Bundey commented:
“We’re delighted that the FINA Diving World Series is returning to the London Aquatics Centre for the second year running. We anticipate that capacity crowds will see the thrill and excitement of international diving and the elite competitors will enjoy the finest, purpose built diving facility in the World.”
More information about tickets and the event is available on the event website www.swimming.org/FinaDiving.
