RESIDENTS in the City of Maribyrnong will share the Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre (MAC) with some of the world’s finest athletes during the FINA World Swimming Championships in March.
Competitors including those from Sweden and Hungary have booked training at the pool.
But FINA will not disclose which countries will use the pool at particular times.
Maribyrnong City mayor Michael Clarke said: “We want to ensure that there is minimal disruption to our residents, especially to the members of MAC.
“We are taking considerable measures to accommodate for any alterations of our members’ routines.”
Security guards, police and volunteer venue hosts will look after the athletes while at MAC and the area around the 50 metre pool will be barricaded off while swimmers are training.
“The appropriate security and safety measures will be enforced during the sessions and the swimmers will not be using the same entrance/exits and change rooms as our regular members,” Cr Clarke said.
“During the arranged training times, the other centre facilities will be completely open to the public so there will be no general closures for MAC whatsoever.”
Cr Clarke said he wanted residents to share in the event and those interested can observe the training sessions from the seating on the southern side of the pool.
MAC will be running a competition to win tickets to an event at the championships with details to be disclosed at a later date.
The championships run from 17 March to 1 April and FINA has secured the following dates for international swimming teams to use the MAC facilities
THURSDAY 15 March to Monday 19 March:
8am-12noon and 4-8pm
25m pool – Water Polo Team
TUESDAY 20 March to Wednesday 21 March
7am to 11.30am
50m pool – Swimming Team
THURSDAY 22 March to Saturday 24 March
3-7pm
50m pool – Swimming Team
