X-Bionic Sphere has hosted many competitions. (source: TASR)
Not long ago, you could learn on The Slovak Spectator that athletes from Australia were travelling all the way to Šamorín. The draw? The X-Bionic Sphere sports centre – designated as the Slovak Olympic Training Centre – where swimmers train for competitions in its expansive pool.
However, the company's financial statements for last year reveal there is little to boast about. In fact, it may be in quite a tight spot: it posted a loss exceeding €15 million, with cumulative losses since 2015 even higher.
And by the end of the year, it will have to repay bonds worth over €131 million, reports Index magazine.
The X-bionic Sphere complex in Šamorín, south-western Slovakia. (source: X-Bionic Sphere Facebook)
Ambitious beginnings
Plans for the construction of the centre date back more than 15 years, originally put forward by the Istrokapitál financial group represented by Mario Hoffmann. The first phase of the complex opened in 2014, followed a year later by the addition of a 50-metre Olympic-standard swimming pool, water slides, and various other indoor and outdoor attractions.
