Ponds Forge International Sports Centre is a leisure complex in the City of Sheffield, England that contains an Olympic-sized swimming pool with seating for 2,600 spectators, family and kids pools, water slides and other sports facilities.[1]
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Ponds Forge was designed by the architects FaulknerBrowns and opened in 1991 as a venue for the World Student Games, which the city hosted that year. As well as the latter, Ponds Forge has hosted many swimming competitions and other events. In recent years it has been host (along with the nearby Don Valley Stadium) to Channel Four's 'The Games', whereby celebrities compete against each other in a wide range of events. The name Ponds Forge is borrowed from the steel works that formerly occupied this site and a 7 ft high anvil has been left in situ next to the building, partly because it would have been too expensive to move it. The River Sheaf runs under the site and flooded the car park on the 21 Dec 1991, shutting the complex for 6 days. Proof of this can be found on platform Five of Sheffield railway station, because the Sheaf also runs under that, and it also flooded at the same time. A piece of debris from "The Flood" is displayed there and the plaque mounted on it has the same date.
The 50 metre pool at Ponds Forge is one of three in England built to current World and Olympic standards, and home to many sporting events. The main pool hall is 90 m long by 60 m wide and when the arches for the roof were constructed temporary supports for them were necessary. When these were removed it "settled" 150 mm. It has two movable bulkheads (so the main tank can be split into 2 or 3 individual pools) and the floors at the end quarters can be raised or lowered from surface level down to 2 m depth. In its long course mode with the bulkheads at the extreme ends it has 10 lanes. If used "width ways" up to twenty 25 m lanes are available. A sophisticated ozone water treatment system is employed that results in lower levels of irritants and reduced toxicity compared with traditional methods of treatment. The quality of the pool means that a great many events are held there which creates valuable exposure for the city of Sheffield and brings in much revenue for the city's hotels etc. The down side is the consequent unavailability for its regular users whilst those events are being held. A number of world records have been set in the pool although only one was long course. The latter was in the heats of the European Championships on the 3 August 1993 when Károly Güttler of Hungary went 1.00.95 to set a new world mark in the 100 m breaststroke. As well as competition-level swimming, the pool is also used for lessons, diving, kayaking and scuba diving. It is also open to the general public for lane swimming.
Ponds Forge plays host to Europe's deepest diving pool at 5.85 metres. This pool hosted the FINA World Diving Series Championships in April 2011 and will be home to USA Diving Squad for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The "Surf City" leisure pool complex comprises many water-based attractions, that is open for public use:
In 2009 the gym at Ponds Forge went through a major refurbishment, with a £3 million investment. It now houses 130 piece modern gym, a spin studio, numerous group fitness class studios, a steam room and sauna. The modernisation upgraded the gym to give users the facilities that they have come to expect with other private gyms.
Also within the complex is the International Sports Hall, which is often used as a basketball venue. The maximum seating capacity of the arena is 1,600, and until 2006 was the home venue for the Sheffield Sharks, before they relocated to the EIS Sheffield. Amongst other events it has also hosted several Great Britain international matches as well as the Semi-finals of the BBL Cup in 2004, and will again host the BBL Trophy equivalent in February 2008.
Ponds Forge is at the south-western side of the major traffic Roundabout Park Square, conveniently placed for access in Sheffield City Centre. Within five minutes walking distance of the main bus station & Shefffield Train Station, the complex is also served by the nearby tramstop of Fitzalan Square/Ponds Forge. The Sheffield Parkway is a conveniently placed dual-carriageway that runs directly from Park Square to junction 33 of the M1 motorway.