The first Olympic-size swimming pool in Europe will open doors next year at the Bulgarian national sports base at Balmeken, the Bulgarian Sports Minister, Svilen Neykov, has announced.

Neykov has stated that the pool will be constructed at an altitude above 2000 m. He has explained that the facility is part of the modernization of the mountain base.

“At the moment, we are negotiating the settling on the land between the municipalities of Velingrad and Yakoruda,” Neykov said.

The base at Belmeken is famous for the place and conditions it provides for the preparation of athletes. The high altitude helps for the better stamina and this is why the base has been a popular training spot for foreign teams since the 1960s.

Neykov has also stated that 7 meters were lacking for a running track in the multi-functional hall in Sofa, which should be ready by the summer.

“The hall is the next big subject of importance, built in Bulgaria after the National Palace of Culture. The bad thing is that we lack 7 meters for the running track. This is how the project has been envisioned. It did not start with us. What we did to improve it was the inclusion of several more sports,” the minister said.

The facility envisions the building of an ice rink, which would provide conditions for four winter sports – ice hockey, figure skating, curling and short track.

“We consulted with experts from Austria and Russia. A public procurement lies ahead. There will also be extensions outside the site, towards the boulevard, because it does not meet the standards and it would not be able to handle the human flow when there are events in the hall,” Neykov said.