The Olympic games coming to London in 2012 presents exciting opportunities for the people of Britain to become part of a global community and showcase the best the country has to offer in all areas of society. This opportunity is probably greater still for the country’s elite athletes and Olympic hopefuls, who have the chance to compete on a world stage in their own country. As the regional capital, Leeds should be a key conduit between the regions athletes and their progression to the London games, connecting the city with the growing Olympic community throughout the country in the build up to 2012 and also creating a strong feeling of participation for the people of the Yorkshire region.
I therefore propose to design an Olympic training facility in the heart of the city, raising the profile of Leeds involvement with the 2012 games and providing a state of the art training facility for the regions athletes. This facility will help athletes achieve all they can at the Olympics and share in the principles of the 2012 legacy program; going on to become a permanent sports facility for the development of future talent from the Yorkshire region.