5 March 2008

A successful consortium bid led by Guildford Borough Council  will be included in the London 2012 Olympic’s official Pre-Games Training Camp Guide.

Guildford Spectrum and Guildford Lido, which are both managed and funded by Guildford Borough Council, were chosen for nine Olympic disciplines including basketball, volleyball and judo. Other consortium members included in the guide are Charterhouse School (archery and athletics) and the Merrist Wood Campus of Guildford College (equestrian).

The University of Surrey's Director of Sport, Barry Hitchcock, is also hopeful that the planned new sports facilities at the university will have a major part to play in the lead up to the Olympic Games in 2012.

Claire Davenport, Representative on the South East 2012 Sports Working Group and Head of Guildford Spectrum Leisure Services says: “We are delighted that Guildford has been included in the 2012 official guide to the nation’s best sporting facilities. It is good for the region, enables us to showcase what we offer at Spectrum and the Lido, and will help focus local interest and participation as we gear up for this once in a lifetime sporting festival.”

Lead Councillor for Healthy Living, Terence Patrick, adds: “This is a major achievement for the Borough and I thank all the consortium members for their efforts to get us this far. We look forward to welcoming international athletes to Guildford. Our world class facilities were selected according to the specific technical requirements of the chosen Olympic sports and highlight the quality of sporting opportunities available to our local residents. They will offer athletes from across the world the opportunity to train and acclimatise in their sport ahead of the London 2012 Games."