The USA Vs a European Select Duel in the Pool last December went down so well that Britain has cancelled its 2010 summer British Open, due to have been staged in Manchester from July 8-10, and will stage another big head to head meet.
In a statement today, British Swimming announced:
"Following the success of the British Gas Duel in the Pool event in December, British Swimming has decided to focus its resources on staging a similar event in 2010 and has cancelled the British Open Championships scheduled for July.
"British Swimming is currently exploring opportunities to build on the success of the British Gas Duel in the Pool by providing another showcase event in Britain featuring some of the world's greatest swimmers.
"Further details of the event for the 2010 calendar will be announced at a later date."
In the latest edition of the SwimNews Magazine, we look at how the duel format is making a comeback 40 years and more after its heyday. Duels offer a much more TV and pool audience-friendly spectacle than long drawn out domestic championship-format events that attract less interest than staged showdowns among some of the very best swimmers in the world.
In December, the USA taught the European select a lesson in the importance of fielding as strong a team as is possible if pride is to be upheld, while the Britain Vs Germany duel last month showed once more the value of head to heads, both in terms of the quality of competition offered to national-team members who in domestic waters may be less challenged and in terms of the spectator interest. Both duels, in Manchester and Swansea were also well organised.
