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It’s not cheating ... GB 2012 stars get ‘home advantage’ in 2012
Matthew Beard, Sports News Correspondent23.09.09
Britain's Olympics chiefs have come up with a cunning plan which might just win us more medals in 2012.
They have launched a secret operation to pack seats near finishing lines with home fans, give our athletes tours of venues and “fix” events schedules in favour of home nations.
Sir Clive Woodward, the former rugby coach who steered England to World Cup victory in 2003, will mastermind the three-year campaign, codenamed “Project Leap” as £300,000-a-year “elite performance director” of the British Olympic Association.
Britain's sports bosses insist it is not cheating, but “maximising home advantage”.
The “performance directors” of Britain's 26 Olympic sports held their first meeting with Sir Clive in May and have had to sign confidentiality agreements to prevent leaks to rival nations.
The project follows the “Home Advantage” scheme at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Sports which may benefit include modern pentathlon, triathlon, rowing, canoeing, equestrianism and swimming.
Our modern pentathletes will be able to familiarise themselves with the type of UK-bred horses they will be randomly allotted for the 2012 event. Our top triathletes will be given intimate knowledge of the Hyde Park course.
British swimmers will have site visits at the newly-built aquatics centre in the Olympic Park. And our canoeists will have special access to the white water canoe course in Broxbourne.
The BOA is also in talks with Games organising committee, Locog, about scheduling an event early on in the Games that is likely to deliver gold for GB. This is thought to be road cycling, won by Nicole Cooke on the first weekend in Beijing last year.
Some sports have also discussed block-booking seats for home fans at advantageous places in venues.
A BOA spokeswoman said: “We are looking at small ways — medical, scientific and logistical — of optimising Team GB's performance. It will be in keeping with the rules and the Olympic spirit.”
Reader views (8)
I agree with Steve of London. I despise the Olympics, and I will be leaving the country during its duration. I'm not a sports enthusiast; to me sport is as exciting as watching paint dry and I really don't care how many silly trinkets on ribbons we win.
To Dave of London. It's been proved that eight out of the last ten Summer Olympics have NOT left a legacy. Please don't believe this lie that it will rejuvenate the poorest part of London.
The only two Olympics that have been financial successes have been the American ones, because, quite sensibly, the Americans have used facilities already in existance. Any venues that the Americans built from scratch were paid for by the sponsors, not by the tax payer.
I've said this many times in past posts on this subject -Don't forget the poor Canadians took thirty years to pay off their debts for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. On top of construction costs, they had to factor in interest rates and inflation. Can you imagine all those resources being put to better use - like, heaven forbid, funding public services!?
- Cally G, Essex, UK
I will watch all of it. Great the Olympics will be in London.
- Dave, London
Why not teams of volunteers to bang dustbin lids all night outside the bedrooms of foreign athletes? Winning is all that matters, obviously. £300,000 p.a. doesn't seem to buy an awful lot of brainpower these days, does it?
- Mdj E10, london uk
Sorry Frank - I meant Steve! Miserbale git!
- Dave, London
Frank you miserable git! I will watch all of it along with most of the population who support bringing this fantastic event to the UK. Great for Britain, great for British sport and great for the economy. Not to mention the fantastic park that will be left in one of the most deprived areas of Europe. I share nothing with all the whingers and I'm proud of those working so hard to make it a success.
- Dave, London
Why don't Britain's Olympics chiefs simply come up with a cunning plan which might just PAY FOR the 2012 Olympics?
Gosh! What an obscure idea!
- Fraser, Telford Park
'Britain' can win the lot for all I care.I won't watch a single event.
- Steve, London
Nothing wrong with that.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
