Based around a 10-lane, outdoor, 50 metre pool at Colonia de Sant Jordi on the South Coast of the island, the deal will see British Swimming become a priority client in terms of warm weather training camps.

It follows yesterday's announcement that it British Swimming had become the first national governing body to sign a sports science Memorandum of Understanding with UK Sport and the three Home Country sport institutes, the appointment earlier this month of Dennis Pursley, the former team director of USA Swimming, as Britain's new head coach and the short-listing of a number of swimming pools across the country to become Intensive Training Centres.

The BEST Centre, founded by former Olympic swimmers, will be available for national team, Intensive Training Centre and other agreed British Swimming camps under the agreement between the parties.

Training groups will be able to use the new pool, gym, dry land area, meeting room and changing facilities while open water swimming will be well served in terms of the near-by coast.

The centre, which has preferred accommodation close by, will be officially opened next spring.