The tiling of the main competition pool has begun at the under construction Sandwell Aquatics Centre ©Birmingham 2022

The tiling of the main competition pool has begun at the under construction Sandwell Aquatics Centre, which is being built for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Swimming and diving will take place at the new £73 million ($52 million/€60 million) facility during the Games, which will produce more medallists than any other venue.

Ian Reid, the chief executive of Birmingham 2022, joined Nigel Huddleston, a Minister for Sport and Tourism, to help local work experience students and Council staff lay the first tiles.

"It has been great to get back on site and the Sandwell Aquatics Centre is looking incredible," said Reid. 

"There has been so much progress in the last 12 months and the credit for that must go to Sandwell Council and its construction partner. 

"You can now really get a sense of how the only new build venue for our event, the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, will look during the Games."

The 10 metre dive tower at the venue was completed earlier this year, while the building facades are also finished.

Curtain walling and glazing is well advanced and the building's roof is in place.

Pool hall lighting, fire alarm cabling, ventilation and heating duct work has all been ongoing.

Organisers said the Centre is on budget and it will be used during all 11 competition days at Birmingham 2022.

It will leave a lasting legacy after the Games as local people will be able to use the world-class facility.

"Fantastic progress has been made on the Sandwell Aquatics Centre since  I was last here in February 2020," said Huddleston.

"Not only will this amazing facility help put Sandwell on the map during Birmingham 2022, it will also become an outstanding new leisure centre for the community. 

"It is a great example of how we are levelling up across the country, by investing money in new world-class facilities that leave a lasting legacy for local people."

Kye Roseblade, a student from Sandwell College gaining work experience at the site, said: "It's really exciting to work on the aquatics centre for the Commonwealth Games. 

"We've got four weeks work experience laying tiles in the centre and I'm really enjoying working on such a big project."

Birmingham 2022 is due to run between July 28 and August 8.