The World Gymnastics Championships, which are being staged in Scotland of the first time ever, will arrive in Glasgow just 15 months after the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the city while they are set to provide an estimated £5 million ($8 million/€6.2 million) economic boost to the country's economy.

The event will be held in The Hydro which is a £120million ($193.6 million/€148.7 million), 12,000-seat entertainment arena currently under construction at the SECC.

The Hydro opens in September 2013 and will play host to the gymnastics - artistic and rhythmic - and netball competitions at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

It is also set to host some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment industries in the coming years before staging the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships from October 23 to November 1.

"The 2015 World Gymnastics Championships will continue Glasgow's long and proud sporting journey," said Glasgow City Council leader Councillor Gordon Matheson.

"Glasgow is recognised as one of the world's leading sporting cities thanks to our investment in facilities such as The Hydro and through our commitment to bringing international sporting events to the city.

"That is why we bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, why we bid for the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships and why we are bidding for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

"The eyes of the world will be on us and we will not disappoint."

Glasgow has a longstanding relationship with gymnastics, staging its first ever Grand Prix event at the famous Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena in 1997.


Last year's World Cup event at the same venue sold out with 1,800 people attending each session while the recent World Cup event at the new Emirates Arena played out in front of a sell-out crowd of almost 5,000 people.

The plans for 2015 have been welcomed by the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG) President Bruno Grandi, who believes Glasgow will stage a fantastic event.

"It will be a privilege to share in the emotions and experiences an event of this calibre has to offer, with its impressive bill of gymnasts from around the world," said Grandi.

"I will be honoured to be in Glasgow in 2015 in a city and a country with such high gymnastic potential, a country steeped in the fundamental values which are the cornerstones of the success and reputation of our sport."

Two of Britain's medal winning stars from the London 2012 Olympic Games, Beth Tweddle and Daniel Purvis, also backed the event as they paid their first visit to The Hydro

"Given its proud sporting history Glasgow is the ideal host for the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships," said Tweddle.

"Over the years Glasgow has established itself as one of the leading cities in the world when it comes to gymnastics.

"It is a special city, with special venues and special fans and 2015 will see the gymnastics in the city taken to a new level."

Purvis was equally excited.

"Every gymnast wants to compete at the highest level and there is no better place to do that than on home soil.

"I will never forget the experience of London 2012 and I know it will be the same in Glasgow at the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships.

"Having a look around the Hydro today it is already shaping up to be an incredible venue and I can envisage what it will be like in three years' time."

Glasgow beat off Paris and Orlando to win the right to host the event back in May 2011 while the competition will as at a qualifying event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

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