Representatives of nine national federations visit Barcelona 2013 sports facilities

Representatives of nine national federations arrived in the Catalan capital today to visit the competition venues of the 15th FINA World Championships Barcelona 2013. The first site visit for the national federations has been scheduled immediately after the Short Course Worlds in Istanbul to facilitate the travelling for members of the federations that are located further away from Spain. The meetings have started today and will conclude on Thursday, 20 December.

Singapore, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Serbia, Great Britain, Montenegro, Japan and France have accepted the invitation of the Barcelona 2013 organizers. The French federation is represented by Romain Barnier, head coach of Spain’s swimmer Rafa Muñoz. The delegates will get to know the four main sports facilities of the Championships today: Palau Sant Jordi, Bernat Picornell Pool, Montjuïc Municipal Pool and Moll de la Fusta. For tomorrow, a site visit of the official team hotels is on the agenda while the federation members will visit the high performance center CAR de Sant Cugat on Thursday.

Four future organizers of the 2015 FINA World Championships, which will be held in Kazan, also joined the site visit to prepare for their major sporting event. The delegation is chaired by Rafis Burganov, minister of youth, sports and tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan. Its capital is the city of Kazan. Burganov is the minister of the remote Russian republic and, at the same time, president of the organizing committee of the Universiade that will be held in Kazan next summer.

Barnier was very attentive during the visit of the main venue Palau Sant Jordi, where he competed as professional swimmer at the Barcelona World Championships more than nine year ago. In 2003, the former freestyle specialist finished third in the 4x100m free final to win the bronze medal with the French relay team at the Palau Sant Jordi. Barnier participated at two Olympic Games (Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004) before he changed his profession to become one of the most renowned swimming coaches in France.