London Olympic Games supremo Lord Coe has heaped praise on Birmingham for being first out of the starting blocks to secure the Jamaican and United States athlete training camps ahead of the 2012 Games.
The 1980 and ‘84 Olympic 1500 metre champion said Birmingham had proved that the 2012 Games will be an event for the whole of the United Kingdom.
His comments came after city council leader Mike Whitby and his sports officers travelled to the World Athletics Championship in Berlin and finalised a deal with the Jamaican athletics team to base their 2012 training camp in Birmingham.
The American Track and Field squad, one of the Olympic Games’ largest, are set to sign a similar deal within weeks.
Lord Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee (LOCOG), said: “For me, it’s a very clear philosophy. I went to Singapore four years ago to bid for the right for Great Britain to host the Olympic Games.
“These Games will be based in London but I see the impact going way beyond the capital. This is a UK-wide event and that’s why it’s vital that cities like Birmingham play their part.”
“The fact that the leader of the council travelled to Berlin ahead of the World Championships to tie up the Jamaica deal is testament to the fact that the city aims to make the most of 2012 and the determination comes from the top. That is exactly what I want from cities up and down the UK.”
He added that Birmingham has held more world and European athletics championships than any other UK city.
