ROYALTY descended on Tavistock today (Tuesday) as HRH The Princess Royal officially opened Mount Kelly’s Olympic Legacy 50-metre swimming pool.

Princess Anne flew in by helicopter to the opening ceremony on Tuesday, to meet Mount Kelly leaders, the pool project team, high profile Mount Kelly swimmers, including international, Olympic and Paralympic swimmers, local authority supporters, representatives of community swimming and civic dignitaries.

The 50-metre pool at Mount Kelly, built in partnership with Sport England and the National Lottery, opened in September.

In addition to training for pupils at the school, it is also now used for long-course training by a number of other swimming clubs from across the South West and further afield.

A significant amount of time is also available for community use and for the popular national ASA ‘Learn to Swim’ programme for children.

Mount Kelly has a long tradition of excellence in swimming and boasts 72 international swimmers, 17 Olympians and six Paralympians among its alumni and has one Olympian currently at the school.

During her visit, Princess Anne visited the new pool and watched a swimming display by members of the Mount Kelly Swim Squad and a display by local primary school children. Before leaving, she unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.

During the unveiling, the Princess Royal said: ‘It is very nice for those of us who saw the start of the bidding process of London 2012, right the way through the games process, from the co-ordination committee to discuss legacy, right the way through that and to see it being placed in an appropriate environment to make the best use of it — for me it’s a really nice cycle to complete.

‘I hope it won’t be the only one because there are lots of other areas where I think that legacy has made a real difference but it completes quite an interesting cycle from my perspective.

‘Mount Kelly’s reputation is quite clearly what encourages people to come here and you are continuing that by adding the 50-metre pool to the success you had with the 25-metre pool.

‘You have set yourselves up on that basis for the future but, as you say, it will take a little time.

‘I hope what you discover here from working with this facility and opening the doors for so many more people, that it will be a real benefit to all those who have been able to gain from the legacy.

‘I suspect that in a couple or more Games I may see some of those from Mount Kelly there but this will carry on long after I’ve ceased to be part of that equation.

‘Thank you very much for your invitation and all the best to those who are going to use this pool.’

Mount Kelly head master Mark Semmence said: ‘The successful completion of the pool project, within two years of the establishment of the Mount Kelly Foundation, is a significant achievement and will bring enormous value, not only to the school’s internationally renowned swimming programme, but also to our local community.’

The opening ceremony was attended by many swimmers who were pupils at Mount Kelly and who have achieved international success such as Sharron Davies, Andy Jameson and Rio 2016 Paralympic medallists Claire Cashmore and Mikey Jones.

Sharron Davies, who has remained a keen supporter of the programme at Mount Kelly, said: ‘Mount Kelly has been at the heart of performance swimming for four decades and was the launch pad for my own international career.

‘It is fitting to see an Olympic Legacy project of this magnitude located in an institution that will embrace every aspect of performance and community swimming. It is inspirational to see so many young athletes working hard to achieve their goals and it is fantastic that this facility will be able to assist in producing the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic champions.’

During the reception, chair of governors Chris Snow said: ‘This is a wonderful thing for us and there are lots of people to thank. The fact that we are all here today is for us to get together and celebrate a tremendous team effort to get this project over the line.

‘We recognise this pool wouldn’t be here if not for the founding vision of Kelly College and there are a significant number of people benefiting hugely from the elite swimming programme put in place.

‘The London 2012 Olympics left a lasting legacy and this pool really represents that.’

Mayor of West Devon Cllr John Sheldon said: ‘I am really pleased that this excellent facility has now reached completion. This Olympic legacy pool will put Tavistock on the professional swimming map and further enhance local facilities for all members of our community.’

Mayor of Tavistock Cllr Mandy Ewings said: ‘It has been a bit of a family day for me. My father-in-law built the first pool with Archie Brew so it has been quite an emotional day to see this project completed. It is brilliant news for Tavistock and for swimming as a whole.’

Leader of West Devon Borough Council Cllr Philip Sanders said: ‘Having had both sons attend Kelly College a few years ago, I’m delighted to see the school continue to thrive and prosper. This project has made a huge impact on the Mount Kelly Swim Squad and provided a fantastic facility for the local population. It is a fantastic achievement and a credit to all involved.’

In a statement Sir Steve Redgrave said: ‘It is really exciting to see already how many people are benefiting from the 50-metre pool at Mount Kelly.

‘This project represents a true Olympic legacy where every effort has been made to embrace all aspects of aquatic sport, from elite competitive swimming to community GP referrals.

‘This project has caught the imagination of the community and represents all that is good with sport and activity. It will have a huge, positive impact on current and future generations.’

For more wonderful pictures by James Bird, see this week’s edition of the Times on Thursday.