Lord Coe selects Stoke Mandeville Stadium for 2012

Lord Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee today visited Stoke Mandeville Stadium to announce that it has been selected as an official training venue for athletes preparing for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Stadium operated by Leisure Connection on behalf of WheelPower, has been included in the Pre-Games Training Camp Guide. The Guide will be released this summer and will promote facilities for preparation of international athletes in the lead up to the London 2012 Games.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium is the birthplace of the Paralympic Games and the National Centre for Wheelchair Sport. The Stadium provides high quality, fully accessible training facilities for leading sportsmen and women.

The Stadium aims to support Olympic and Paralympic teams as they prepare for London 2012 by providing excellent training facilities, accommodation, catering and all the additional elements that an athlete will require to perform at their best.

The Stadium offers a number of Olympic and Paralympic Sports including: archery, athletics, badminton, basketball and wheelchair basketball, fencing, football, handball, handcycling, table tennis, triathlon, volleyball, shooting (air weapons), swimming, and powerlifting.

At the accouchement, Lord Coe said "We said that we wanted the London Games to be for athletes, and the facilities listed in this Guide will really help overseas athletes prepare well. It also provides a great opportunity for towns throughout the UK to get involved in our plans. The process we have been through shows a great spread of high quality facilities throughout the UK that can be used by elite level athletes. The new website will continue to be an asset to keep an up-to-date log of the elite facilities we have across the UK."

Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of WheelPower, the organisation which owns Stoke Mandeville Stadium said "Stoke Mandeville Stadium has become known as the 'home of wheelchair sport' and the 'birthplace of the Paralympic Games’ so we are delighted that the Stadium has been included in the Pre-Games Training Camp Guide. We are looking forward to seeing athletes from around the World preparing for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games at the Stadium".

Graham Farrant, CEO of Leisure Connection concludes: "What a fantastic achievement for the stadium, the athletes and the community and is testament to the level of service that the Leisure Connection team in partnership with WheelPower delivers. We look forward to welcoming the athletes of 2012."