Glasgow hosts World Gymnastics Championships

Hundreds of athletes are gathering in Glasgow for the World Gymnastics Championships.

The event is set to get under way on Friday in Glasgow's SSE Hydro and will run until 1 November.

Glasgow has joined an elite list of former host cities such as Tokyo and London, and has welcomed 594 athletes from 87 countries for the competition.

A total of 450 volunteers from as far afield as Hong Kong and Australia have been signed up to help run the event.

Rio Olympics

Leader of Glasgow City Council Frank McAveety said: "Our army of volunteers will be at the heart of the event, carrying out a range of functions and being the face of our great city.

"Glasgow has a fantastic record when it comes to volunteering and they are now up and running and starting to play a key role in what will be the biggest ever World Gymnastics Championships."

The beginning of the championships will see a number of qualifying sessions on Friday, including Vault, Uneven Bars, Beam, and Floor.

Event finals will begin on 27 October and competitors will be striving to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The £125m SSE Hydro was host to both the artistic and rhythmic gymnastics in the XX Commonwealth Games in 2014, and has undergone a number of additions in the run up to the World Championships, including bespoke judging platforms and an LED "mega wall".

'Another coup'

VisitScotland's director of events Paul Bush said: "Scotland is now the envy of many other elite event hosting nations in the talent of our people, the sophistication of our infrastructure and the quality of our facilities, both built and natural.

"The SSE Hydro will present many never-before-seen features for these championships, which will greatly enhance the experience of all spectators in Glasgow and add much value to the price of their tickets."

UK Sports Minister Tracey Crouch said: "Hosting the World Gymnastic Championships is another coup for Scotland and a real legacy from last year's Commonwealth Games.

"The British gymnasts will get an incredible reception from the fans in the Hydro Arena and ticket sales have been really strong.

"I am delighted that we are supporting the event, through UK Sport, that will further strengthen Britain's reputation for staging major events but also provide a boost to the economy in Scotland."