altAUGUST 28 - REBECCA ADLINGTON, the double Olympic gold medallist, tonight officially opened the third annual UK School Games, being held in Bath and Bristol.

 

The Mansfield swimmer opened the ceremony at Bath Rugby Football Club, which saw the athletes parade with their home teams, before the event officially commenced and a dazzling display of Cirque Bijoux was accompanied by fireworks.

 

Also parading at the opening ceremony were 12 former Olympic and Paralympic athletes, including the Youth Sport Trust vice president and 1980 Olympic swimming gold medalist Duncan Goodhew, Paralympic swimmer Giles Long, Olympic judo medallist Kate Howey and gymnast Annika Reeder.

 

The ceremony included a welcome for the 1,500 elite athletes, competing in nine sports across three days of competition, from MP Kevin Brennan, before Adlington, who at 19 is only two years older than some of the competitors, took to the stage to declare the event underway.

 

Adlington, who became the first British female swimmer since Anita Lonsborough in 1960 to win an Olympic gold medal, said: “I think the UK School Games is a fantastic event and having the ability to compete in a multi-sport competition will only help these young athletes for the future.”

 

Adlington became the 400 metres freestyle champion on day three of the Beijing Olympics, which she followed by smashing the world record for 800m freestyle to take her second gold medal and help Britain to an overall haul of 47 medals, including 19 golds.

 

Swimming will feature prominently at the UK School Games, with two days of competition held at Millfield School today and tomorrow.

 

Adlington said: “The UK School Games is the first major competition in the London Olympiad.

 

“I was a year too old to compete in the event and would have loved this opportunity as I entered Beijing with it being my first experience of a major multi-sport event.

 

“I hope all the athletes get everything they can from the UK School Games and I wish them all the best of luck.”

 

Record numbers are competing in Bath and Bristol this year, where the new sport of hockey will join competition in badminton, judo, volleyball, athletics, fencing, gymnastics, swimming and table tennis, with disability events in athletics, swimming and table tennis also included.

 

Athens 2004 Olympic 4x100m relay gold medallist Jason Gardener is the official ambassador of the 2008 UK School Games.

 

He said: “I’ve been fortunate during my sporting career to witness the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and it’s something which stays with you forever.

 

“The young athletes competing here at the UK School Games here in Bristol and Bath are sharing a unique experience which will no doubt inspire them to go on and achieve success at the highest level.”

 

The 2008 event promises to be bigger than before, with previous competitions hosted in Glasgow and Coventry respectively in 2006 and 2007.

 

New developments this year from the event organisers, the Youth Sport Trust, include the development of a school supporters programme to get local schools involved in the Games, the work with Mencap and the governing bodies of particular sports to develop clear pathways into the competition for athletes with learning disabilities and additional use of young officials during the event.

 

Steve Grainger, the chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “Tonight’s opening ceremony has launched this year’s UK School Games in Bristol and Bath in spectacular fashion as we look to recreate the look and feel of an Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 

“The focus now turns to the stars of this weekend: the 1,500 talented young athletes who have travelled from across the UK to showcase their talents in this major multi-sport event.”