Lord Coe Visits University of Worcester
Olympic Gold Medallist Lord Sebastian Coe, who is Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, visited the University of Worcester, to find out more about its involvement in the 2012 Games.
At the University, Lord Coe met elite athletes, including students who represent England in basketball and blind football, along with sports students working on ‘sportscode, a piece of software used to analyse and improve sporting performance.
The University is one of the official venues that forms part of the London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide, featuring facilities and venues across the UK suitable for use by international sporting teams as a training base in the run up to and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. The Lithuanian Men’s Basketball Team (4th in Beijing) has booked the University of Worcester as a pre-Olympic training base for London 2012 if they qualify.
Lord Coe’s visit was part of a day-long trip to the region hosted by the West Midlands Leadership Group for the 2012 Games, on which University of Worcester Vice Chancellor Professor David Green represents Higher Education.
The day began at Northwick Manor Primary School as Lord Coe enjoyed a taste of a ‘Day of Sport’ with youngsters from the school. The children were guided by the University’s Physical Education students and participated in a range of activities from games to dance.
Mick Donovan, Head of the University’s Institute of Sport and Exercise Science, said: “Seb Coe is one of the World’s top all time athletes and it was a privilege to welcome him to the University of Worcester. “The Institute of Sport & Exercise Science is committed to combining inclusion with excellence and this fits in with Olympic ideal. “Lord Coe was given a real insight as our students engaged in physical education, coaching and sports science with athletes and local schools.”
University of Worcester Vice Chancellor, Professor David Green, said: “The University has become one of Britain’s most popular choices to study sport science in Britain. Our acclaimed basketball programme combines learning through sport with top quality performance on the court. “We are delighted that our work in other sports and in education is becoming more widely recognised. We look forward to welcoming 2012 Olympians and Paralympians to Worcester before the Games and will do all that we can to contribute to the Games being an inspiring success.”
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