By Tom Degun

March 26 - British Swimming have announced that this year's British Open Championships, scheduled for July, have been cancelled because following the success of the Manchester Duel in the Pool event last December, which featured American superstar Michael Phelps (pictured), they have decided to focus its financial resources on staging a similar event in 2010.


The 2009 event saw the United States take on a combined swimming team made up of British, German and Italian athletes under the name E-Stars.

The final score was a 185-78 victory for the USA while eight world records were set during the competition.
 
As well as Phelps, the US team featured a host of star names including Aaron Peirsol and Ryan Lochte while the E-Stars team was led by double Beijing 2008 gold medallist Rebecca Adlington and featured 50 metre backstroke world recorder holder Liam Tancock. 

The event at the Manchester Aquatics Centre proved so popular amongst both the athletes and spectators that British Swimming has decided that the British Open Championships must be sacrificed in order to hold a similar event to Duel in the Pool later this year. 

A spokesperson from British Swimming said: "Following the success of the British Gas Duel in the Pool event in December, British Swimming has decided to focus its resources on staging a similar event in 2010 and has cancelled the British Open Championships scheduled for July.

"British Swimming is currently exploring opportunities to build on the success of the British Gas Duel in the Pool by providing another showcase event in Britain featuring some of the world’s greatest swimmers."

Further details of the 2010 event are set to be revealed later this year. 

Meanwhile, the top British swimmers are set to begin their fight for Commonwealth Games places in Delhi later this year when the British Championships open on Monday. 

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