A launch event, including the unveiling of the mascot, was held to mark the one year to go milestone ©LEN

Olympic gold medallist Pernille Blume says it “does not get any bigger” than competing at the European Short Course Championships on home soil in Denmark as organisers celebrated the one year to go milestone until the event gets underway at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen.

Blume stunned the world when she claimed the women’s 50 metres freestyle title at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and now has her sights set on the 2017 competition in the Danish capital, due to run from December 13 to 17.

Her comments came as she took part in a launch event at the venue, which remains under construction, along with other members of her country’s national swimming squad.

During the launch, organisers revealed the mascot for the Championships would be a mermaid called Dana, who was chosen following a competition among Danish swimming clubs.

The event was held alongside stakeholders and organisations who have partnered with the European Short Course Championships, including Sport Event Denmark, Wonderful Copenhagen and the City of Copenhagen.

“It does not get any bigger than this,” Blume, whose triumph gave Denmark a first Olympic swimming gold since Karen Harep at the 1948 Games in London, said.

“To have the opportunity to jump in the pool right here in Royal Arena at the European Championships.”

The Royal Arena, which is expected to have a capacity of 12,500, is “nearly finished”, organisers claimed, though they admitted it still resembled a building site in its current form.

Olympic champion Pernille Blume says it does not get any bigger than competing on home soil at a major event ©Getty Images
Olympic champion Pernille Blume says it does not get any bigger than competing on home soil at a major event ©Getty Images

Two temporary swimming pools are being built for the event, which is set to attract Europe’s top swimmers.

“The LEN European Short Course Championships 2017 will be the first sporting event in Royal Arena,” Sport Event Denmark chief executive Lars Lundov said.

“That equals a new era of great indoor championships right here in Copenhagen which gives us the opportunity to also attract Swedish spectators.

“We now have a multi-purpose arena in both East and West and that gives us the upper hand when it comes to hosting great, international sporting events.”

Copenhagen was awarded the 2017 European Short Course Championships at a meeting of the European Swimming League Bureau (LEN) in Vienna last October.

Denmark's capital beat off opposition from Poland and Italy to secure the hosting rights.

It meant the nation would stage the biennial competition for the second time in three editions following a widely-praised 2013 event in Herning.