Robbie Renwick is the one member of either of tonight's Duel in the Pool teams to be swimming where he trains regularly but even he admits to having been surprised by the set-up at Tollcross.
"This is going to be quite an event," said the 25-year-old City of Glasgow club member. "It all looks absolutely phenomenal and I hardly recognise the pool. It doesn't feel like home."
Not that this is a complaint. Renwick is merely excited at the way the venue, already transformed by vast investment to get it up to the required standard for next summer's Commonwealth Games, has been enhanced by the tournament set up. Some tickets were still available yesterday, but that was only because an extra tranche was released after the first batch sold out, even though prices for adults started at £40.
As well as the prospect of witnessing such high-calibre competition, that perhaps reflects the scale of interest in the venue itself with around 2000 spectators expected at each of the sessions. "It's going to be absolutely amazing," Renwick enthused. "I'm really excited to be part of this team, especially swimming here."
The reigning Commonwealth 200 metres freestyle champion is a relative veteran of these events. However, he believes this one has the potential to be different in terms of the challenge the European All Stars will set for the so far dominant Team USA.
Originally a competition between what were seen as the swimming super-powers of the USA and Australia, the contests staged in 2003, '05 and '07 were all won comfortably by the Americans. That led to Europe being introduced as their opponents four years ago.
The two meetings since have produced even bigger wins for the US but Renwick's view, which is informed by his previous involvement in the competition on both sides of the Atlantic, reflects a belief within this European team that the result can be very different this time.
"I took part in the first one in Manchester in 2009 and then in 2011 we went over to Atlanta which was very exciting," he said. "But Europe's got a very, very strong team this time around and I think we have a real opportunity."
Renwick is one of four Scots taking part, with Olympic silver medallist Michael Jamieson, Hannah Miley, the Commonwealth and European 400m medley champion, and Craig McNally, the 20-year-old who reached the 200m backstroke final at this year's World Championship, also part of the European team. Renwick - who is due to compete in the last of tonight's individual races, the 400m freestyle, as well as the 200m freestyle tomorrow - feels he is in the sort of condition to delight the home support.
"I've managed to rest a decent amount of time and I'm feeling quite sharp in training so I'm hoping to get personal bests this weekend," he said, adding that he believes he is ready to do equally well in both disciplines.
In saying so he recognises that, while the competitive environment in what is essentially an exhibition event is very different from that at major championships, there is no margin for error within this format.
"In some ways there is not as much pressure as there is at a championship but it's a totally different type of challenge," he said. "There are no heats or semi-finals, it is just straight into finals, so you cannot leave anything to chance because there is only one opportunity to get it right."
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