National Swimming Champs Format Revamped

British Swimming has revamped the format of its National Championships with more
emphasis on morning sessions in response to the IOC moving the timetable for the
2008 Olympic finals in Beijing.

The governing body’s changes to Britain’s biggest national swimming event,
which will be held at the Manchester Aquatic Centre from 26 March next year,
will see the event run over seven days instead of the usual six in order to
facilitate the change of emphasis to swimming fastest in the morning.

The schedule will follow the Beijing Olympic programme of morning finals and
semi-finals.

The IOC’s decision to adhere to US broadcaster NBC’s request to move the
swimming finals to the morning to accommodate US TV viewing audiences has come
under huge criticism from European-based athletes.