The facilities will appear in the guide, to be published at the Beijing Games in August. 

 

It contains high quality elite sporting facilities from across the UK which will give teams and individual athletes a wide selection of venues from which they can choose to prepare for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

 

The Guide will be circulated to all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs).

 

These organisations can then decide where they base themselves or where to send individual athletes to prepare and acclimatise for London 2012. 

 

Extensive details of the facilities will appear on a dedicated website showcasing the quality and variety of options throughout the UK which will help NOCs / NPCs decide where to train.

 

The national tourism agency, Visit Britain, is developing this new website with LOCOG and will bring its experience of marketing destinations and tourism products to international audiences.  
 
LOCOG is also offering a financial award of up to £25,000 to NOCs/NPCs to help encourage teams to base themselves in the UK. 

 

LOCOG has an allocation from its privately raised budget for this process and believes this will be an incentive for NOCs / NPCs to base themselves in the UK, they claim.

 

Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012, said: “We said that we wanted the London Games to be for athletes, and the facilities listed in this guide will really help overseas athletes prepare well. 

 

"It also provides a great opportunity for towns throughout the UK to get involved in our plans. 

 

"The process we have been through shows a great spread of high quality facilities throughout the UK that can be used by elite level athletes. 

 

"The new website will continue to be an asset to keep an up-to-date log of the elite facilities we have across the UK.”

 

Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister, said:  “The strength and diversity of our sporting infrastructure is demonstrated by so many high quality facilities having met the strict criteria to be included in this Guide. 

 

"This is a real opportunity for communities across the UK to capitalise on the benefits that hosting 2012 offers. 

 

"There are no guarantees of success just by making it into the Guide. 

 

"There will be fierce competition to host foreign teams and individuals, and now it is for every nation and region, every venue, to sell itself internationally.”

 

Indeed, some cities have already been marketing themselves to overseas teams with some success.

 

Birmingham have agreed a deal with the United States track and field team to base themselves in the city during the build-up to 2012.

 

Bristol have agreed a simlar deal with Kenya's athletics team while the Australian Paralympic team plans to base itself in Wales.

 

Gunilla Lindberg, secretary general of the Association of National Olympic Committees, said:  “I am delighted that LOCOG is making good progress in preparing this guide which promises to contain an excellent range of sporting facilities.

 

"Training and acclimatising is an essential part of an athlete’s preparation for an Olympic Games.

 

"This guide will greatly assist those NOCs wishing to experience training in the host nation to make suitable arrangements for the London Games.”

 

Simon Clegg, chief executive of the British Olympic Association, who recently announced they are to be based in Aldershot in 2012, said: “LOCOG’s pre-Games training camp guide is an outstanding publication, highlighting the huge choice of world class facilities on offer within the UK, which will greatly assist the other NOCs and NPCs in their final preparations for London 2012. 

 

"The last weeks of an athletes’ preparation for an Olympic Games can have a significant impact on their performance. 

 

"I am confident that this Guide, together with LOCOG’s generous financial award scheme, will enable a far greater number of Olympic and Paralympic teams to participate in pre Games training within the host nation than in any previous Games.

 

Phil Lane, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association said: “It’s a significant bonus for National Paralympic Committees around the world to benefit from the same process and grants as their Olympic counterparts for the first time.  

 

"We’re working with London 2012 on evaluating the suitability of many of the named sites for Paralypmic use. 

 

In the meantime, we’re delighted that Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, is in the guide.”

 

Prince Feisal Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, said “The London Olympics will be something special and any assistance that Jordan can receive in preparing our young athletes for 2012 will be welcomed.”

 

Facilities in the guide range from well known major sporting hubs, universities and independent schools, community facilities, and sport specific clubs. 

 

They were assessed against strict technical criteria such as the ability to offer high quality sports training facilities, experience of hosting elite teams, comfortable but affordable accommodation, the ability to offer appropriate catering, good transport links,  access to a good hospital, and good sports science facilities.

 

Facilities that appear in the guide will now market their facilities directly to NOCs and NPCs. 

 

There will be workshops organised to give guidance on this. 

 

The list of regional facilities is available at www.london2012.com/facilitiesbyregion.