Swimming saves lives and should be shown on television more often, a former Olympic champion has urged. Conservative peer and Olympic gold medalist Baroness Sharron Davies of Devonport made the plea in the House of Lords following a series of open water drowning tragedies that have claimed at least 17 lives.
Among the victims was Midland teenager Lilliana Tomlinson, who died after getting into difficulty near Kingsbury Water Park, close to Tamworth, on Bank Holiday Monday, May 25.
Alarming rate of pool closures
Lady Davies, who won gold at the 1980 Moscow Games, said in the Lords: "We're closing pools at the moment at an alarming rate and in the last few weeks we've seen at least 17 people die from drowning."
Speaking during debate on the Sporting Events Bill, she argued that major event organisers were "getting it wrong" by placing excessive importance on opening and closing ceremonies. She called for greater emphasis on "inspiring a healthier nation as people get back to old habits and try new ones."
Research reveals worrying trends
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Swimming reported earlier this year that only 74 per cent of children could swim 25 metres by the time they finished primary school. The research also revealed that more than 1,200 pools were more than 40 years old and potentially nearing the end of their useful life.
"The loss of facilities threatens to widen these inequalities and leave another generation of children without this essential skill," the report warned.
Limited free-to-air coverage
Lady Davies highlighted that swimming coverage during this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow would be accessible not via free-to-air television, but through a paid-for streaming platform. She said that if swimming coverage on free-to-air television was limited to the Olympics, "that's four years in between showing swimming – one of our biggest participation sports and a sport that saves lives."
She added: "It's important to inspire people to want to swim."
Members of the House of Lords supported the Bill at second reading. The legislation draws upon laws enacted for the London 2012 Olympic and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and would establish a framework to organise future competitions. It includes potentially granting event organisers authority over transport infrastructure in host cities and penalties for unauthorised ticket resales.
