Lord Coe chairman of the London Organising Committee (LOCOG) and Pat Hickey, Olympic Council of Ireland President visited St Mary’s University College, Twickenham as part of Coe’s London engagement programme for 2012. St Mary’s is a pre Olympic training venue for South Arica, Ireland and endurance athletes from China and during his visit Lord Coe was shown how the University College’s preparations for the squads’ arrival are progressing.
Lord Coe toured the new 8.5 million indoor sports centre that is nearing completion, including its strength and conditioning suite and sport performance laboratory, where St Marys’ exercise physiologists demonstrated how they monitor and assess athletes’ training programmes.
Lord Coe praised the University College for its contribution to, and development of, high quality sport over so many years, saying: “St Mary’s is forward thinking and world renowned. It shares the Olympic vision and will have a role to play in sport way beyond 2012.” He went on to thank St Mary’s “…for the politically seamless involvement at local, regional and national level involving so many partnerships.”
Pat Hickey said, “ Sonia O’Sullivan has chosen a great site and the athletes that use St Mary’s will love it, we expect to send athletes from athletics, badminton, canoeing, cycling and triathlon”
Prof Fisher said: “St Mary’s has been chosen by three countries to be a Pre-Games Training camp for the Games and Lord Coe’s and Patrick Hickey’s visit will further enhance our international reputation for elite sport that is the flagship for a comprehensive portfolio in sport and physical activity in general.”
Prof Dick Fisher (St Marys), Lord Coe, Prof Elser (St Marys) and Pat Hickey
