For international swimming purposes, competitive swimming in Northern Ireland falls under the Irish swimming federation, Swim Ireland, and as such Aquatics GB represents Great Britain, rather than the United Kingdom. For the Olympic Games, Northern Irish swimmers may opt to compete for Aquatics GB.
Aquatics GB is a member of World Aquatics, LEN, the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association, and has responsibility for elite performance, doping control and international relationships and events for the sports within Great Britain. The Home Country National Governing Bodies are affiliated to Aquatics GB and are responsible for all other management of the sports in their respective countries from the learn to swim programmes up to performance development.[5]
History
British Swimming (as it was known at the time) became the primary organisation for Great British swimming in 2014, previously the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) had been responsible for elite swimming.[6]
In 2024, the organisation underwent a rebranding and was renamed Aquatics GB to oversee five disciplines of swimming, diving, para-swimming, artistic swimming and water polo.[2]
Championships
Aquatics GB organises championships every year in each of the sporting disciplines.
Domestic water polo competition in the UK is centred on the National Water Polo League (NWPL) and National Women's Water Polo League (NWWPL), which operate through the autumn and winter. The British Championships organised by British Swimming are held in the Spring. Winners of the championships in recent years are listed below.
An annual championships for Masters swimmers is organised in rotation by the Home Countries, usually in June, for senior (18–24yrs) and masters (25yrs+). The championships are held in a long course (50m) pool.
Alongside the Open Water Grand Prix series, Aquatics GB also arranges national championship events over 5km and 10km.
Diving
The British Diving Championships are held annually in the winter. Sometimes the annual championships are held in the December of the preceding calendar year.
In 2009, Aquatics GB announced a £15 million, 6 year sponsorship deal with British Gas.[18][19][20] It also announced sponsorship with Kellogg's[21] and Speedo[22] in 2009. In 2016, Aquatics GB announced a new sponsorship deal with TYR Sport, Inc.
Further reading
Keil, Ian/Wix, Don, In the Swim. The Amateur Swimming Association from 1869 to 1994, London 1996
