March 24 - The World Life Saving Championships, due to be held in Newquay next year and billed as the biggest event to be held in Britain before the London 2012 Olympics, have been moved to Egypt.

images/stories/old/

 

The International Life Saving Federation, the world governing body, confirmed today that Alexandria would host the Games, dubbed Rescue 2010, because Newquay were unable to provide a 50 metre swimming pool that is essential to the success of the event.

 

Newquay had been awarded the event, which it is claimed is bigger than the Commonwealth Games,  in 2007 but were unable to find the money to install a temporary Olympic-sized swimming pool.

 

Adam Wooler, the chief executive of Surf Life Saving Great Britain (SLSGB), said: "We are a small national charity with limited resources.

 

"We did all we could to bring together the potential legacy pool partners and even sourced the potential funding for the permanent pool but it required local Government to lead the next stage.

 

"It would have been nice to have seen Cornwall County Council commission a feasibility study into requirement and revenue costs associated with a permanent 50m pool before a decision not to proceed was taken."

 

The Olympic Development Authority (ODA) had agreed to loan a temporary pool to Newquay for the Games but with transportation costs of £750,000 in addition to a further £750,000 for the event costs, SLSGB was unable to the meet the costs.

 

Private sector businesses were also unwilling to help, given the current economic climate.

 

Cornwall County Council said it would also not be forced into footing the bill for the pool.

 

Wooler said: "It is sad that despite extremely positive noises made by Government during and after the bid process, the event, which was often mentioned as part of the London 2012 nations and regions sporting programme, did not attract any Government funding other than the money the South West Regional Development Agency had committed to fund the event manager."

 

Both Newquay and Cornwall's economy was expected to benefit to the tune of around £20 million as a result of the games, with 40,000 spectators flocking to Cornwall.

 

Around 6,000 lifeguards from across the world were expected to come together for Rescue 2010.

 

Former Newquay mayor, Pat Lambshead, slammed both the organisers and Cornwall County Council following the decision.

 

He said: "This is an outrageous decision from the International Life Saving Federation.

 

"This is also a stab in the back to Newquay from Cornwall County Council who has lost a major event for the British people by not enabling a Olympic-sized swimming pool to come to Newquay."

 

Andrew Mitchell, Cornwall County Council's executive member for the economy, said it had been a missed opportunity.

 

He said: "I believe this is a poor reflection on this country's capabilities to hold such an event. Government could have stepped in. It would be two years away from the Olympics, and an ideal opportunity to test procedures for crowd control, infrastructure and so on."