News

Olympic athletes by-pass Aldershot

By Nicola Hudson
June 23, 2009

BRITISH athletes have snubbed the 2012 Olympic pre-games training camp in Aldershot in favour of preparing abroad.

The blow to the town was delivered by UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee, who believes the athletes should complete their final preparations away from media intrusion and the pressures of everyday home life, which could distract them.

A spokesman for UK Athletics confirmed the team is looking at several foreign destinations to prepare for the Olympics but had yet to make a decision.

Intense

He said: “We want to get away from the distractions of the UK in what will be a hugely intense build-up to the games in our own country.”

The British Olympic Association (BOA) last year chose Aldershot as the base for the pre-Games camp due to its close proximity to London, facilities that allow training for 21 of the 26 Olympic sports and the area’s development potential.

The town was also favoured because of international security concerns surrounding the British squad following threats made at the 2004 Athens games.

The BOA now faces having to scale back its plans as British Swimming has already announced it will base its athletes overseas and British Rowing will prepare for the tournament separately.

There are no facilities in the garrison town for track cycling or sailing.

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Firstly, well done Rushmoor Council! A missed opportunity to promote the area, what did they do to try and improve the area and image. Secondly, BOA & UK Athletics, we want some of our lottery money back, if athletes from other countries can win medals by training in their own country (and some of those countries are in a worse state). Why should our athletes be training abroad? In a time when our National and local economies require support, why on earth is our money going abroad? Sorry but this just smacks of "Thanks very much" we are off! I would rather our lottery monies were utilised for the benefit of our communities. And what a pitiful excuse "away from media intrusion and the pressures of everyday home life" ........................ how will they cope with the press and intrusion during competition?? Does anyone else think this is crazy.