Gold medallist swimmer sees Olympic glory for Leeds
Olympic swimming legend Adrian Moorhouse believes Leeds can pull in athletes from all over the globe bidding for glory in 2012.
The gold medalist, who trained in Leeds at the peak of his sporting success, was at the launch of the city's bid to become a training camp for Olympic teams coming to England to compete in the London games.
The former 100m breaststroke champion, who took the gold in Seoul in 1988, said: "I'm a product of Leeds and I couldn't have done what I did without training in this city.
"It's fantastic that the facilities here have been updated and Leeds is so well placed to attract a big team to train for London because you want somewhere in the same timezone, with the same climate but out of the way a bit from London itself."
Spectacular
At yesterday's event at the spectacular John Charles Centre for Sport, Moorhouse, who has been working as a pundit for the BBC in Beijing, helped launch a special DVD and brochure to promote the sports facilities in the city.
The DVD entitled Gateway to Gold showcases some of the advantages for teams picking Leeds as a base for their training for the London showpiece and the Paralympic Games.
Copies will now go out to every Olympic and Paralympic association ready for their return from Beijing.
Earlier this year facilities at John Charles Centre, Rothwell Leisure Centre, Headingley Carnegie Stadium, University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University, the Middleton Equestrian Centre and The Grammar School at Leeds were named by the London 2012 organisers in a list of potential training facilities.
Moorhouse trained with the City of Leeds swimming club during the 12 years he spent at the top of his sport including the six consecutive years when he was officially ranked world number one in his event.
Leeds City Council Executive Member for Leisure, Councillor John Procter said: "We are very proud of the fantastic sports facilities we now have here in Leeds, and by showcasing them in this way we are confident athletes from the UK and beyond will make use of them as they get ready for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London."
Posted: Monday, September 01, 2008
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