Sheffield’s Olympic hopefuls ‘falling behind’ competitors as Ponds Forge remains shut

Tom Owens, who runs City of Sheffield Diving Club with his partner Nikki, said they have yet to hear anything about when Ponds Forge International Sports Centre – the club’s training base - could reopen. The 400-strong club has a successful history of producing top diving talent, with at least one Olympian at every games since 1992. Four of its current members have ambitions to compete at next year’s rescheduled games in Tokyo, while some of the younger members are among the most talented in the country for their age, Tom said.

Ponds Forge is owned by Sheffield Council but operated by Sheffield City Trust (SCT).

Leisure facilities were allowed to reopen in England on 25 July but those run by SCT remain closed. While seven of the 13 venues they operate will reopen by 1 September, Ponds Forge will stay shut for the forseeable future, the Council and SCT confirmed on Wednesday (11 August), with no reopening date provided.

SCT chief executive Andrew Snelling insisted there are “no plans” for it to close permanently despite admitting reopening facilities “carries with it a significant financial risk with huge costs associated [...] especially those that include large-scale swimming pools.”

Tom, who has coached at the club since 2008, said: “I don’t want this generation of athletes to be left with the overriding sense that the council would rather open a pub than sports centres so people can chase their dreams.

"We do get a sense that unless Sheffield City Council are more forthcoming with information we’re going to be left behind.”

Other similar facilities across the country where Olympic hopefuls train have reopened, Tom said.

He added: “You have got sports clubs that cater for hundreds of people that operate out of Ponds Forge.

"We employ 20 people and we’re all trying to work out how to move forward.”

Mr Snelling said SCT is ‘working closely with sporting and event partners to accommodate their requirements, where possible, at other venues’ and will look to open more facilities “as soon as is practical and reasonable”.