Raising the bar
What : World Gymnastics Championships Where : M & S Bank Arena , Liverpool When : 29 Oct – 6 Nov Image : Simone Ferraro
The M & S Bank Arena hosted nine actionpacked days of competition during the FIG World Gymnastics Championships , which saw 14 world titles claimed and 79 medals presented .
The 11,000-capacity venue , operated by the ACC Liverpool Group , also saw an impressive performance by its team . There was a World Gymnastics Championships first with the creation of a fan zone that was attended by more than 18,500 people . It offered a range of activities , an opportunity to see Championship medals , and chances to meet gymnasts including Becky Downie , Claudia Fragapane and Dan Purvis .
Some 35,000 tickets were sold for the event , which involved another world first for the sport – the introduction of British Sign Language on screen for the duration of the competition . It was broadcast by the BBC in the UK but was also viewed heavily via social media channels . ACC Liverpool said more than 87,000 people tuned in to the WGC2022 Facebook page in the UK .
Staging the Championships involved 406 volunteers who , between them , clocked in a total of 15,000 hours working across 30 different roles including spectator services , digital and media , hospitality , and event operations .
ACC Liverpool Group commercial director Ben Williams said , “ This phenomenal event was a culmination of the city working in collaboration with UK Sport , British Gymnastics and the International Gymnastics Federation from first submitting the bid in 2017 to holding a world-class championships . It was a prime example of our prowess in delivering major international events as we mark six months until we host Eurovision 2023 .”
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