The best swimmers in the country are coming to the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center Dec. 3-5 to compete in the 2009 AT&T Short Course National Championships. This nationally televised event will propel the victors to international competitions and provide a showcase for new improvements made at the county facility.

More than 775 swimmers will participate in this meet, which will include races of 50 yards to 1,650 yards. Athletes will be racing for gold, silver and bronze medals and qualifying times for international races.

Preliminary sessions will begin each day at 9 a.m., and finals begin at 5 p.m. Races will feature many swimmers from the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte will be present before the Dec. 4 finals to sign autographs.

King County will premiere the facility’s new natatorium lighting system at the event this week. In addition to making the facility more attractive for television broadcasts, the new fixtures save significant energy and lower the costs of operating the facility. The new lighting features also enhance the spectator experience and further the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center’s reputation as one of the top competition facilities in the country.

Ticket and schedule information is available online at: www.usaswimmingchamps.com. Information about the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center is available online at http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/pools/wkcac.aspx.