04/10/2013 00:00
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By Humphrey Carter

PALMA
SOME of the best British swimmers in Europe and the World arrived in Palma this morning at the start of a four-day training session at the newly opened Blue Water Elite Swim Training Centre, in Colonia Sant Jordi.

Many of the swimmers are no strangers to Majorca having taken part in a number of previous training camps organised by Blue Water on the island. It was at the Son Hugo complex in Palma that the women's team planned their assault on the Beijing games where Rebecca Adlington won two golds and Joanne Jackson a well deserved bronze.

Jo Jackson is part of the team of male and female swimmers on the island this week, as is Gemma Spoforth and Liam Tankock who both won medals and broke records at the World Championships in Rome this summer.

CHAMPIONS
Former World Champion James Gibson and Rome silver medalist Fran Halsall are also included in the party which is full of either European of Commonwealth champions.

This is, however, the first time the British swimming team has used the BEST centre, which was only officially opened by the British Consul Paul Abrey earlier this month, but the team has issued a statement of intent to work with Blue Water Elite Swimming Training as they and the Paralympic swimmers prepare for the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Majorca is going to be the team's warm weather training centre and training groups will be able to use the new 10-lane, outdoor, 50m pool, gym, dry land area, meeting room and changing facilities.