Competing teams unable to fly in have been arriving from all parts of Europe over the weekend, many of them making marathon bus and ferry journeys.

But all competing nations are now expected to be assembled at the National Indoor Arena by tomorrow night.

"It’s the Dunkirk spirit," said competition director Tricia Jephcott.

"We’re running on schedule, we’re on track and we’re excited that we’ve got so many countries coming.

"Everyone is determined to arrive on time, which is fantastic."

Competitors from Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Slovakia and Switzerland are already established in Birmingham, while those from the Czech Republic, Germany and Netherlands were en route tonight.

Eight other nations have confirmed their travel plans, while Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Poland, Norway, Serbia and Slovenia expect to arrive tomorrow.

Event organisers, who have been meeting the new arrivals at ferry terminals in Dover and Newcastle and laying on a bus service for them, are hopeful that the majority of federations will make it to Birmingham on time.

But for those who have arrived, the journeys by land and sea have been arduous.

Senior Swiss competitor Mark Ramseier commented today: "We travelled for 19 hours and arrived in Birmingham around midnight.

"The arena is good, we hope to train this afternoon and see more of the city later.

"But most of all, we hope that all the countries will arrive for the competition."

Slavomir Michnak, a 17-year-old Slovakian gymnast, said: "We traveled here by bus together with the Austrian team.

"It took us 24 hours, but we did it."

Colm Murray and Denis Donoghue, judges from Ireland, said: "Normally it takes us about an hour to fly over from Ireland; but this time we spent 11 hours on the bus and on the ferry.

"We are tired, of course, but happy to be here at last and we are looking forward to the start of the competition."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
April 2010: Sheffield Diving World Series first event to be cancelled because of air crisis
April 2010: Birmingham’s European Gymnastics Championships delayed by volcanic activity