Birmingham's reputation for hosting world-class sporting events is set to receive another boost after British Gymnastics chose the city to hold its 2018 World Cup.
Each year, the Gymnastics World Cup is held across four stages in different countries with the UK, US, Germany and Japan playing host in 2018.
Nations compete to be crowned World Cup winners with each individual event securing points while gymnasts also pick up ranking points in the hope of being crowned the World Cup series champion.
The World Cup will feature up to nine male and nine female gymnasts representing eight different countries and could to see the likes of household names such as Max Whitlock and Louis Smith come to the city.
The UK leg will be held at Arena Birmingham on March 21 and 22, just three weeks after the same venue welcomes the globe's top athletes for the IAAF World Indoor Championships.
This is latest top-class sporting event to come to Birmingham and will add further weight to the city's campaign to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games which includes gymnastics among its sports.
Among the events to come to Birmingham in recent years are Davis Cup Tennis and Indoor Grand Prix athletics, both also held at Arena Birmingham, the third Ashes cricket test and two matches at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
And the city is now just days away from hosting the inaugural Birmingham International Marathon which is also being seen as a test bed race for the 2022 Commonwealth Games bid.
They all generate millions for the city's tourism economy and are seen as a massive shop windows for Birmingham to show the watching world it can host major events.
Jane Allen, chief executive of British Gymnastics, said: "We are delighted to bring this world-class gymnastics event to Birmingham which has a long history of staging gymnastics championships at World, European and British Championship levels.
"Birmingham and the West Midlands has produced some of the most successful British gymnasts in history and it is time to return to Birmingham and stage this spectacular event.
"It's a fantastic competition and a real crowd pleaser that's been enjoyed by sold-out crowds over the years."
Coun Ian Ward, new leader of Birmingham City Council, added: "All eyes again will be on Birmingham as hosts of another significant international sporting event and we look forward to welcoming some of the world's best gymnasts to our city.
"We know Birmingham and the West Midlands will get behind this event and we are proud to support it."
