Budapest To Host 2010 Swim Meet

The association chose Budapest over Rome and Moscow, LEN’s board said in Zurich.“Our application was greatly appreciated, and the members of the committee have excellent memories from the European Championship Budapest hosted in 2006,” Tamás Gyárfás, the chairman of the Hungarian Swimming Association (MÚSz), commented on the decision, adding “we didn’t have any real opponents.

It was a clear victory.”The event, like that two years ago, will be organized on Margaret Island and (for the long distance swimmers) in Balatonfüred. The championship is scheduled to be held between Aug 4 - 15 2010.According to Hungarian state newswire MTI, members of the LEN committee had received guarantees from the Hungarian government, and Hungarian Public Television (MTV) along with the application.

According to MÚSz, the campaign film for Hungary, seen by the committee members at their Zurich meeting, included the Budapest trip of LEN’s financial commissioner (and likely next president), Nory Kruchten, who received guarantees personally from Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány and sport minister István Gyenesei, when in Budapest earlier this month.

Improvements

Gyárfás added that improvements at Margaret Island will include electronic cars, to make commuting within the island even more easy.

Since the Puli (Hungarian shepherd dog) mascot of the 2006 European championship was widely popular, it will not change, although it will turn white from black in 2010, Gyárfás said.

The logo of the event will be the heart-shaped design, currently used by state-run non-profit Magyar Turizmus Zrt (Hungarian Tourism agency), symbolizing that, despite organizing the European Championship for the second time in five years, the event will not be routine-work, and will require everybody to put their hearts into the organizing.

Along with LEN’s decision to choose Budapest as host, it has also appointed Tamás Gyárfás as its vice president."

Source: Budapest Sun