After a successful transition to short course and then into a synchro pool, the staff at the BEST centre turned the 10 lane 50m pool into a water polo field for the German squad today, as the team complete their final preparations ahead of the European championships in Budapest.

The Centre will play host to a women’s invitational tournament in September this year, and will look to stage more synchro and water polo events in the coming years.

Belgian club Brabant East Swim Team are having a successful training camp at the Bluewater Elite Swim Training Centre. We have the BEST at BEST!

The German national water polo team started their preparation for the European Championships in Budapest with a long swim session at the BEST Centre today. Next week the pool will be changing into a water polo facility with the Germans training on a full size water polo pitch.

The BEST Centre is 1 year old today! The team is celebrating in style with plenty of local food being sampled by the Norwegian, Swedish, Luxemburg and Belgian teams training at the centre, with the coaches knocking back a little local Cava.

Congratulations on a great first year! It is the start of an amazing journey.

Adreas Raelert wins in Frankfurt

Congratulations to Andreas Raelert who won the European Championship Ironman in Frankfurt. Andreas, who spent most of March training at the BEST Centre with the German national triathlon team, is now preparing for Hawaii with hopes of winning there as well. The Frankfurt Ironman is widely considered the most important Ironman after Hawaii.

We look forward to welcoming Andreas and the rest of the team back to the BEST Centre in Mallorca next spring. Well done Andreas!

Family Swim Holiday regular is honoured at Plymouth College

Congratulations to Laura Froshaug who has just been made Head Girl at Plymouth College. Laura, who has been with us every year on our Family Swim Holidays, had just returned from work experience at the BEST Centre, to find out the excellent news.

It is a great honour for Laura to be chosen for this role at such a great school, and we all very proud of her.

1500m challenge: Two of the local Mallorcan distance swimmers, Victor Goicochea and Alex de Celis, from the Balearic elite squad came to the BEST Centre with coach Fernando Gomez Reino to train with top Chinese 1500m man Dai Jun and 200m star Jiang Hi Qi.

Shanghai coach David Lyles took them for a race pace set that saw Dai Jun get down to 53 sec from a push on the last 100 of a set of 20 high quality 100s and going 23.7 sec for his last 50.

Impressive stuff from a 1500m swimmer!

With its superb facilities and relaxing environment, the BEST Centre in Mallorca continues to attract the best swimmers from around the world.

David Lyles, a former GB international coach, is now coaching an elite group of Chinese swimmers based in Shanghai. Looking for a European base for a three week camp, Lyles chose the BEST Centre, bringing with him a group that includes Ji Li Ping, the Asian women’s 100m breaststroke record holder, and Dai Jun, a 1500m talent swimming 15:05 at just 18 years of age.

Many clubs from Norway have been enjoying the pool and surroundings in Colonia Sant Jordi and with us this week is Sara Nordenstam, the Olympic bronze medallist from Beijing, 2008, in the 200m breaststroke. Nordenstam is here with her club team Lamberseter, and is spending a lot of time on sculling drills and says it is important to concentrate on the last three strokes of the final 50m of the 200m.

BEST Centre regular Mieria Belmonte (ESP), took home 1,400 euros in cash after finishing in 6th place in the overall points table after the three meets of the Mare Nostrum series. The Spanish national team will again base themselves at the superb facilities in Colonia Sant Jordi before heading to the Europeans in Budapest this summer.

The 7,000 euro first prize was scooped by American breaststroker Rebecca Soni.

Continuing their good run at the Mare Nostrum series after their intense training camp at the BEST Centre, Britains best were among the leading swimmers at the final meet of the series in Canet.

Fran Halsall won the 100 free in 54.94sec, following Lizzie Simmonds’ win a day earlier in the 200 back (2:08.32). The pair also picked up second place finishes in the 50 free and 100 back respectively. Also finishing as runners up were Liam Tancock in the 50 back and Kris Ghilchrist in the 100 breast, and third places went to Gilchrist in the 200 breast, Dave Carry in the 400 free, and James Goddard in a very competitive 200 IM.

Look out for all the Brits at the Europeans in Budapest in August and the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October.