Lord Coe was in the region to see a wide cross-section of sports and hear how the North East is planning to win its fair share of the benefits from the 2012 Games.

He was also in the area for the unveiling of North East England's Regional Plan which outlines the areas of opportunity which the North East believes it can develop in the run up to London 2012, such as increased sporting participation, new business contracts and tourism and cultural opportunities.

The £19.8 million Sunderland Aquatic Centre incorporates a main pool, diving pool and wellness centre. It will be the only one of its kind between Leeds and Edinburgh, providing much needed facilities for the whole of Sunderland and the wider region.

Lord Coe, a double Olympic champion, said: "I think the Aquatic Centre is fantastic, it is sensational. To have that critical mass of coaching, physiology, rehabilitation, to have a world-class swimming pool next to a world-class football stadium, with the ambition of developing a sport city around them – it’s the way the world should go. I am very excited by what I have seen.

“When you come to a city like this, enlightened enough to understand the importance of sporting achievement, it is very uplifting.

“Coming to Wearside is actually about coming to find out what is happening locally and to go into all the opportunities that bringing the Olympics to this country provide.”

The Aquatic Centre will act as a hub for performance swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and water polo and will attract high profile national and regional competitions to the area.

Sunderland City Council Leader Councillor Bob Symonds said: "As the region's first 50m pool and wellness centre and the only facility of its type between Leeds and Edinburgh, the Sunderland Aquatic Centre will provide first rate facilities for both the community and young athletes alike.

"It’s an excellent example of the superb sporting facilities we have here in the North East, which we and our regional partners believe would provide ideal training venues in the run up to the 2012 Olympics."

During his visit, Lord Coe met potential sporting stars of the future including swimmers Alexandra Robinson and Jonathan Carlisle from Monkwearmouth School.

Alexandra has won both silver and bronze medals at Scottish Nationals and is currently ranked in the top 10 in Great Britain for 100 & 200 metres breaststroke.

Jonathan was a double gold medallist at the recent Scottish Nationals and the North East Championships on 100 and 200 metres backstroke. He is currently ranked in the top 4 in Great Britain for his age.

He also met boxer Jonson McClumpha (Peterlee and Houghall Academy), tennis hopeful Caitlin Hindmarsh (St Anthony’s Girls School), trampolinist Gary Short and table tennis player Graeme Barella (Monkwearmouth School).

Construction began on the Sunderland Aquatic Centre in March 2006 and is due for completion in spring 2008.

Designed by Red Box Architecture and being built by Balfour Beatty Construction Ltd, the Aquatic Centre incorporates a main 50m pool, a diving pool and a Sunderland Wellness Centre.

Funding has come from Sunderland City Council, Sport England, European Regional Development Fund, One North East, Tyne and Wear Partnership, Sunderland Arc and Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

The new Aquatic Centre has been designed to achieve the highest accreditation under BREEAM (British Research Establishment Environment Assessment Method).

This highest rating is only awarded to buildings that have taken into account their environmental impact in terms of design during construction and long term use. In the case of the Sunderland Aquatic Centre, this has resulted in the incorporation of such features as a ‘superinsultated external fabric’, a combined heat and power unit, the selection of sustainable materials and minimisation of energy.

Of particular interest is the fact that every drop of rainwater that falls on the roof is collected, filtered, treated and heated for re-use in the pool.

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last updated 25/03/08