Stirling is to remain as a location for a high-performance centre for swimming despite having lost its status as one of British Swimming's Intensive Training Centres.
A funding package is to be finalised in the next month that would involve additional monies from UK Sport being diverted to back Scottish Swimming's programme, as well as an investment from sportscotland.
Although British Swimming is likely to retain only the dedicated hubs in Loughborough and Bath, it will mean that leading Scots will continue to have their ambitions supported on home soil.
While Stirling University, and the adjacent Institute of Sport, will remain as the primary base for the sport, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen are likely to end up with additional resources once the final deal is agreed.
"We're working to two timetables," confirmed Forbes Dunlop, chief executive of Scottish Swimming. "One is for the Commonwealth Games, through to next September and then for the longer term. But I'm confident we have a good proposal in place. We still view Stirling as a key centre. The university has been great in giving us pool time when we need it. We have the Institute on site. It's a great set-up."
One of the initial priorities under the revised set-up will be to replace the outgoing head coach Rob Greenwood, who is leaving Stirling to head up the British Para-Swimming programme in Manchester. It is understood that British Swimming will no longer directly fund a replacement and Scottish Swimming may consider revising the remit of the role. "We won't move away too far from what's there now," Dunlop said. "Rob had a very scientific-led programme. The structure involved athlete testing and the swimmers got used to that. So we'll look to maintain that idea with the right people."
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