PLANNING for the London 2012 Olympics is well under way and Wrexham Council is keen to get a slice of the action. It is hoped that the Games will have a positive impact on the local area both in an economic capacity and socially. The council is aiming to attract Olympic and Paralympic teams to Wrexham's sports facilities for training camps and smaller events. During the 2000 Sydney Olympics there were 200 training camps across Australia, and the council is hoping that Wrexham may be chosen for a similar role before the London event. Among some of the facilities earmarked by the council are the Racecourse and its training facilities, the Queensway Stadium, and NEWI's sports facilities accompanied by its student accommodation. NEWI has already submitted details of its sports facilities. A spokesperson for NEWI said: 'We certainly hope that we could be used as a training camp for some of the smaller events or teams.' Wrexham is twinned with Raciborz in Poland, and the Council's chief leisure, libraries and culture officer Alan Watkin hopes that Polish Olympians will use Wrexham's sports facilities. The council is considering working in partnership with neighbouring local authorities to secure North Wales as an area that can be used for training and acclimatisation camps. It is hoped that there will be a broad range of opportunities associated with the Olympics, such as using the event as a teaching tool, its impact on the uptake of sports in the area and the benefits it may bring for the local tourist economy. It is also hoped that local industry will benefit from contracts associated with the Games. Mr Watkin said: 'This is the largest event mankind organises across the world. 'Culture is an important element, but it has tended to be forgotten in recent years. We need to see how we can maximise potential to see what Wrexham needs to do both for the Olympics and Paralympics. 'There will be other areas of impact, for example, firms and subcontractors in the local area may benefit from building work.' Mr Watkin also highlighted tourism opportunities associated with the Games: 'We need to maximise the potential of tourism in the area. There was a large increase in tourism in areas of Australia during and long after the Sydney Olympics.' Cllr Ted George said: 'There are opportunities here that we should take advantage of. 'We need to improve rail links between London and Cardiff, and request train operators to provide better services.' A Lead Member Task Group is to be established by the Council to examine Wrexham's Olympic possibilities further, and maximise the benefits of the Games. Walker stepped into record books KEN Matthews from Acton Park won gold in race walking at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. 71-year-old Ken said: 'Competing in the Olympics was a fantastic feeling, I felt very honoured to be among some of the best athletes in the world, and then I had the honour of becoming one of the best in the world myself. 'It was a great to meet up with other Olympians, it is like a fraternity, wherever you go in the world you immediately have things in common.' Ken has swapped the feel of solid ground under his feet for cycling these days, and is a member of Fibrax Wrexham Roads Club, but he is familiar with the athletics facilities at Queen-sway Stadium. Ken said: 'Wrexham Athletics Club is a well-established club. I have seen it grow since I came over here from Birmingham in the 60's. They have a good track and the older members are always keen to help the younger ones. 'I understand the facilities at NEWI are very good too.' Before moving to Wrexham, Ken worked at a power station in Birmingham and would train on the roads after work. Ken said: 'If the desire's there, you can find ways to train, it doesn't have to be a track, you can go to the park and make your own facilities. 'Anyone interested in sport can make the effort to improve and get proper training. 'I began training two days a week and ended up training six times a week.' Ken thinks that it is important to encourage youngsters to take up sport: 'Unfortunately walking is dying out as a sport nowadays, and there aren't many youngsters taking it up. 'Sport is a great thing to get into, and it's a good social leveller.' nTo find out more about sports on offer in Wrexham call 01978 297366 or visit www.wrexham.gov.uk Rowing has pulling power ROWING Olympian Tom James from Coedpoeth competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics and is used to putting in long hours of training in a sport that requires immense stamina and excellent teamwork. Tom juggles life as an engineering student at Cambridge University with his gruelling training schedule. The 21-year-old has also competed in Cambridge's Boat Race team in 2003 and 2005, and three world championships. Tom said: 'When I was competing in Athens we trained in Hammersmith every day. We'd get up at 7am for breakfast, then do a 20-24km row, stop for food then go back out for a 16km row, then we would finish by doing some weights. 'By the end of the day we would be very tired both mentally and physically. It's pretty laborious but you have to do it.' Tom thinks that team work is essential to success in rowing: 'There is more to the sport than just competing. There is the camaraderie, you make really good friends with the people you train with. 'Team skills are a big part of rowing, you have to bond closely to your teammates, there is a saying that you're only as good as the weakest in the boat.' Tom began rowing as a schoolboy at King's School, Chester, when he found he could no longer play football due to a knee injury. Tom said: 'I would say to any young person who is thinking of taking up rowing, 'give it a go and see what it's like'. 'There is a good programme for junior rowers nowadays, there are plenty of opportunities for young people to access great coaching facilities. 'A lot of people think that you have to be very tall to be a rower, but there are Lightweight or Heavyweight categories, I'm not the biggest, but I have still managed to do well.' During his rowing career Tom has had access to a variety of training facilities, he says: 'Facilities for Olympic events need to be up to current standards, you also need access to physios, accommodation and things like that. For rowing you need to have access to ergos (rowing machines) and weights, and facilities might cater for up to 60 competitors.' | 
