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IMPORTANT: If you are a member of Out to Swim and you plan on attending the Gay Games (regardless of whether you have registered or not), please take a quick minute to fill out the Out to Swim online survey. It’s 9 multiple-choice questions and will take you less than 2 minutes. Your response is essential to help us get an idea of how many people from OTS are attending the Gay Games. This is important so we can prepare for the socials, team kit and coaches on deck at the Games. You can access the survey here.
Out to Swim will be making Gay Games VIII its competition focus for 2010. With an estimated 12,000 participants from 70 countries, Gay Games VIII promises to be the event of the year (except GLLAM of course) – so don’t miss out!
This page provides answers to some questions members of Out to Swim may have in the lead up to Gay Games. Be sure to check out the official Gay Games website for the most up-to-date information.
UPDATE! There is now a dedicated page for when you are in Cologne.
For further FAQ’s, visit the Gay Games FAQ page here. If you have any questions that aren’t answered below or on the main Gay Games website feel free to email Ian White, the OTS Gay Games organizer (log in to the members section of the website to find his detail under the Committee section).
For more information please see the entire article.
Did you know?
The idea behind Out to Swim was inspired by a London swimmer attending the Gay Games in Vancouver in 1990. After getting off the ground the club’s first major goal was to get a team of 10 to 12 swimmers to the New York Gay Games in 1994. By the time the team got there, OTS had four women’s relay teams alone and over ten men’s teams.
REGISTRATION
SPORTS
CULTURAL EVENTS
ACCOMMODATION AND TRAVEL
REGISTRATION
When is Gay Games?
Gay Games VIII is taking place 31 July to 7 August 2010 in Cologne, Germany. Key dates include:
| Opening Ceremony: |
Saturday, 31 July 2010 |
| Swimming: |
Sunday 1 August to Friday 6 August (over 6 days) |
| Water Polo: |
Sunday 1 August to Friday 6 August (over 6 days) |
| Synchronised Swimming: |
Wednesday 4 August to Friday 6 August (over 3 days) |
| Pink Flamingo: |
Friday 6 August (afternoon) |
| Closing Ceremony: |
Ceremony: Saturday 7 August 2010 |
For a full timetable of all sports, please see here.
Visit the individual sport web-pages for further details on a discipline’s schedule and timing.
How do I register for Gay Games?
Registration for Gay Games VIII is now open. You can register through the Gay Games website, here.
Click on the large, red ‘Register Here’ button. You will need to create an account to get started.
If you have any questions regarding the registration process, contact the Gay Games registration team here.
What information will I need to register?
Everyone will need:
- Personal contact details, including postal and email address
- A photo of yourself in a standard file format for your accreditation badge (this can be uploaded after you have registered by updating your account, but don’t forget!)
For swimming:
- Enter “Out to Swim” for club name
- Entry time for each of your events. (If you’re not sure what time to enter, don’t hesitate to ask one of the coaches - they are more than happy to help!)
- Your ASA membership number – this is called “Licence Number of the association” on the entry site. All members of Out to Swim are registered ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) members. A list of member’s ASA numbers can be viewed here.
The registration site currently allows you to register for up to nine individual events, despite the stated cap of five individual events and three relays. This error has been reported and the organizers request that you register for no more than five events until this problem is fixed.
For water polo
- Team entry codes. You will be prompted to enter the code for the team you wish to join. If you are not sure which code to use, please contact Joe, the water polo captain (contact details available on the Committee page of the OTS website).
How much does Gay Games registration cost?
The base registration fee is 125 Euros until 31 Dec 2009 and 150 Euros thereafter. There is an additional participation fee for each sport you register for (this is 40 Euros for swimming, water polo or synchronized swimming).
The fee includes tickets to the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony, a participation medal and the welcome-package. In addition, all participants will be able to ride busses and trams free of charge throughout metro Cologne during the Gay Games.
If you are a member of Out to Swim and the cost of registration, travel, accommodation or other associated costs will keep you from taking part in the Gay Games, please consider applying to the Out to Swim scholarship Fund. Full details are available here.
When does registration close?
Registration for Gay Games closes 31 May 2010 however swimming and a number of other sports will be fully booked well before the closing date, so registering as early as possible is advisable.
When I arrive in Cologne, what is the accreditation process?
You will require your Gay Games accreditation badge to access the competition facilities, opening ceremonies and lots more, so it’s important that going to accreditation is one of the first things you do in Cologne. Don’t delay – the lines can get horrendous! You can obtain your accreditation badge, participation medal and Welcome Bag at these locations and times:
Cologne Messe (Cologne Convention Center),
Messeplatz 1, West Entrance, 50679 Cologne-Deutz
- Thursday, July 29, 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m.
- Friday, July 30, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Saturday, July 31, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Gay Games is asking that you bring the following documents with you to Accreditation:
- Photo Identification (Passport/identity card/driver’s license)
- Registration Confirmation
- Proof of Payment (Credit Card Bill/Bank Account Statement/PayPal Account Receipt)
Due to possible long wait times on Saturday, July 31, the GG suggests that you come to the accreditation area as soon as you can after you arrive in Cologne. To insure easy access for all athletes at the Opening Ceremony, accreditation is closing at 17:00 (5:00 p.m.) on Saturday, July 31.
SPORTS
Can I participate in more than one sport at Gay Games?
Yes, you can participate in multiple sports at the Gay Games. Please be aware of potential scheduling conflicts and that an additional fee applies for each sport you register for.
Where can I find details on swimming at Gay Games, including the schedule of swimming events?
Details on swimming at Gay Games are available here.
A schedule of swimming events is available here.
Do I need to register for swimming relays?
No. Our great OTS coaches and committee members will take care of the relay registration closer to the event.
Relay entry fees are covered by the team, so you won’t be charged extra if you take part in a relay.
Where can I find details on water polo at Gay Games?
Details on water polo at Gay Games are available here.
Where can I find details on synchronized swimming at Gay Games?
Details on synchronized swimming at Gay Games are available here.
For a schedule of the synchronized swimming competition, see here.
CLUTURAL EVENTS
Opening Ceremony
All Gay Games participants are invited to take part in the Opening Ceremony. To say the least, it is a moving event.
Up to 48,000 people are expected at the 2010 Opening Ceremony, including an estimated 10,000 athletes from more than 70 countries. Athletes march into Cologne’s RheinEnergie Stadium to screaming crowds and music, grouped by their home city. Out to Swim and the rest of ‘Team London’ are sure to be a strong presence.
The headline entertainment act hasn’t been announced yet, but past Gay Games performers have included Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, Kylie Minogue, Erasure’s Andy Bell and Heather Small.
The Opening Ceremony will take place Saturday, 31 July 2010. It will begin at 20:00 with athletes and participants gathering at 18:00 to organize for their grand entrance. The opening ceremony will be finished at 22:30 when the opening party will start and run through the night.
Pink Flamingo
Pink Flamingo is an IGLA (International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics) tradition where teams perform an on-deck and in-water routine with dance movements, synchronized swimming, costumes and of course, music. A theme is set for each Pink Flamingo competition and aquatics teams perform original routines to compete for the top prize.
To give you an idea of what this all entails you can view previous winning Pink Flamingo performances here: http://www.igla.org/records/pink-flamingo/
Out to Swim has never taken home the gold in Pink Flamingo – but with your help 2010 can be the year!
Pink Flamingo is being preformed the afternoon of Friday 6 August at the Sportpark Müngersdorf, the pool where all the swimming events will take place. This is a ticketed event (Gay Games swimmers get in free) and draws a great crowd!
An email asking for volunteers will be circulated once a theme has been announced by the Gay Games, but in the meantime feel free to register your interest with Ian White (contact details available on the Committee page of the OTS website).
Other Cultural Events
Gay Games is both a sporting and a cultural event. The cultural events (31 July - 07 August 2010) are expected to draw some 2000 participants to Cologne – singers, musicians, visual artists, dancers and cheerleaders.
The visual arts event at the Gay Games Cologne will be an impressive exhibit, and as in every Gay Games, the International Rainbow Memorial Run will commemorate the victims of HIV-AIDS and breast cancer.
Some of these events are ticketed and advanced purchase is possible. Visit the Gay Games website for further details.
ACCOMMODATION AND TRAVEL
Accommodation
A range of accommodation options are available in Cologne to fit a variety of tastes and budgets.
Hosted Housing
Details on hosted housing are available here.
Hotels
Here are some great options:
1. Mercure Severinshof - Severinstr - closer to the 'old city' where the bars are located
Great location - about a 10minute walk from the centre of Cologne. You'll need to take 2 trams to get to the aquatics facilities.
Main disadvantage: subway construction on one side of the hotel. Book on mercure.com and you'll pay 61 per room per night with breakfast or 57 per room per night without breakfast for the 8 nights for a 2 person room. You can select in the booking whether you need a double bed or two twins. This is a non changeable non refundable rate.
UPDATE: The Hotel Mercure in Cologne is almost sold out! (as of May 15)
The Bed and Breakfast deal has already sold out. The £57/night restricted rate rooms and £71/night unrestricted rate rooms are still available - but there are less than 20 left for Gay Games week - and likely to sell out fast! So even if you are not yet ready to make a decision, you could always book the £71/night unrestricted rate and cancel it up to the first day of your stay.
The SAS Radisson is still available - now at £78 per night! This is a restricted, non refundable rate. More details, can be found here.
2. SAS Radisson/Radisson BLU - on the exhibition centre side of the Rhein river - so over the river from the main city and bars/clubs. It is also a 2 tram ride away from the aquatics facilities. But it's a great hotel if you don't mind the distance - it's only a couple of years old and the rooms are very comfortable. Book on radisson.com and you'll pay 80 per room per night for a 2 person room. Again, this is a non changeable non refundable rate.
3. Mercure Koeln - West – Not to be confused with the Mercure Severinshof (number 1 above), this is closer to the pool and is available at a similar rate to the Mercure City: http://www.accorhotels.com/frm_fiche_hotel.svlt?code_hotel=0705&code_langue=gb
4. If Hotel Mercure Severinshof or the SAS Radisson are sold out or are not suitable, the following hotel is quite close to the Hotel Mercure Severinshof:
NH Koeln City
Holzmarkt 47
50676 Cologne (Köln)
DON'T GET IT CONFUSED WITH THE NH HOTEL AT THE MEDIA PARK - THEY ARE MILES APART
According to kayak.co.uk, the best price is at hotel.info - about 70 per night! Check out the reviews here. This is a mix of reviews for NH City Cologne as well as NH Media Park.
Travel
By Air:
Cologne is served by 3 airports:
- Cologne/Bonn
- Dusseldorf
- Dortmund
Here's some information to help you when booking your flights. There are more options than you may think. Prices for return flights start at £53 - so book now before they go up! (information correct as of 25 Jan)
Cologne/Bonn airport (Airport Code CGN
Direct)
Trains to Cologne take 15 minutes and run every 20 minutes or so. One way tickets cost less than 10 Euros. Travelling on the fast ICE trains is more expensive - and only saves 3 minutes!
Dusseldorf airport (Airport Code DUS
Direct)
Trains to Cologne take around 40 minutes and run every 20 minutes or so. One way tickets cost around 10 Euros. Travelling on the fast ICE trains is more expensive - and generally not direct.
Dortmund airport to Cologne (Airport Code DTM, Dortmund Flughafen on the Deutsche Bahn website)
Shuttle bus to nearby Holzwickede train station. Then a train to Cologne - direct or with a change. Direct trains take one hour 40 minutes and run every hour - so allow 1 hour 40 minutes including the shuttle bus. One way tickets cost 18 Euros.
F or more information about the trains, check out the Deutsche Bahn website:
http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml
We recommend that you check kayak.co.uk for the best priced flights - this is an aggregator site that will allow you to narrow your search and then link to the airline's site to book there.
Your flight options include:
* easyjet - from £53
- Luton to Dortmund - rather far from Cologne, but could be a back up option
; Gatwick to Dusseldorf
; Gatwick to Cologne
* flybe - from £88
- Gatwick to Dusseldorf
* Lufthansa - from £99 - but with free baggage allowance
* BA - from £112 - but with free baggage allowance
- Heathrow to Dusseldorf
* Air Berlin - from £103
- Stansted to Dusseldorf
* Germanwings - from £146
- Stansted to Cologne
* bmi - from £180 -
Heathrow to Cologne
Please remember that the budget airlines often have additional charges for baggage, priority seating etc.
By Train:
You can travel by train from London to Cologne via Eurostar service from London's St Pancras International. Eurostar service will take you to Brussels, then travel on to Cologne’s Hauptbahnhof (main station) with ICE or Thalys rail operators. Journey time is approximately 4.5 hours.
Booking for the entire journey is available through the Eurostar website.
By Bus:
Not the fastest option, but it will get you there. National Express, usually in cooperation with German Eurolines, has bus services from many UK locations to around 30 cities in Germany. Overnight buses from London Victoria Bus Station to Cologne Bus Station take around 12 hours and include a short ferry ride. |
