The Princess Royal will officially open Medway Park on the first day of competition at the Modern Pentathlon European Championships.

The Princess, who competed at the 1976 Olympics and is now president of the British Olympic Association, will attend the five-day tournament on Thursday, July 28 to unveil a commemorative plaque.

Cllr Rodney Chambers, the Leader of Medway Council, said: “We are very pleased that the Princess Royal will be coming to Medway to officially open our centre of sporting excellence.

“Medway Park is a fantastic facility for the whole of the community, as well as top athletes."

The Modern Pentathlon European Championships are a qualifying event for the 2012 Olympics and the top eight finishers in the men’s and women’s teams will go on to compete in London next year.

Medway Park is the result of an £11 million transformation of the former Black Lion Leisure Centre. It has a new 12-court multi-use sports hall, an eight-lane athletics track and a modern gym.

Medway Park is also an official training camp for the Olympic Games and can cater for 13 Olympic and eight Paralympic sports. Barbados and Senegal have already signed up and the Portugese trampolining squad will use the neighbouring Jumpers Rebound Centre.

This year’s Modern Pentathlon European Championships take place from Thursday, July 28 to Monday, August 1.

The Princess Royal's last visit to Medway was in March 2010 to officially open MidKent College's Gillingham campus - just down the road from Medway Park.