The USA’s Olympic track & field coaches were in Birmingham at the weekend ahead of their training camp here in July. Dave Woodhall met them.
A freezing cold morning at Perry Barr wasn’t enough to wipe the smile from the faces of the USA’s Olympic track & field head coaches as they viewed the facilities on offer at Alexander Stadium, which will be their training camp prior to the London games starting in July.
It must have been particularly difficult for women’s coach Amy Deen, a resident of Miami, but her enthusiasm lit up the chill February air. “These are great facilities,” she told us.
There’s more to a training camp than practising, and Deen is happy with the city in which her team will be doing their final preparation. “It’s a good city. It’s in close proximity to London and there will be no problem acclimatising. I’ve walked around the city and it’s a nice place. The facilities are awesome but there are also plenty of places for the athletes to socialise. They’ll be able to walk round, go to restaurants and movies but they’re professionals. We don’t have to tell them how to behave, they’ll be focussed on what they have to do.”
And despite stories that American Olympic chiefs are unhappy with security arrangements for the Games, Deen has no qualms about her charges during their time in Birmingham. “No worries at all, just as long as they’re sensible. Don’t travel alone too much, all the stuff you do when you’re in a strange area.”
Team USA are the most successful in Olympic history, with 315 gold medals to their name. How will they fare in 2012? “We have no targets. But I’m confident Birmingham will give us the best possible opportunities to put our athletes into the best situation they can hope for.”
Deen’s optimism is shared by her colleague Andrew Valmon, himself a double Olympic gold medal winner in 1988 and 1992. “What we have here is first rate” he said. “There’s plenty of space for our athletes to train and the layout is superb. Birmingham is also a wonderfully diverse city. It’s a multicultural environment that will provide a home from home for our athletes.”
“This city provides everything we need. Facilities are perfect but there are also places around the city – areas such as Centenary Square and the canalside are good for resting, for down time. Birmingham is a really well-kept secret. We hear about other parts of the UK but it’s good to see places like this as well.”
Aware that there have been murmurings about the cost and the London-centric nature of the Games, Valmon emphasised that that the US team would be hoping to work with local youngsters during their time in Birmingham. “We want to put something into the community, to give young people a chance to see these athletes train.” It’s hoped that the American team will hold two open training sessions whilst in the city.
But however much the athletes may enjoy working here, their identities are still a mystery. The American track & field Olympic trials will be held in June and early July and only then will the selection process take place. With the bulk of the squad due into Birmingham on 16th July ahead of the Games’ opening eleven days later, it promises to be a tight schedule for the select few.
The arrival of the American squad, as well as their fellow athletes from Jamaica who will be training at the University of Birmingham campus, is another step in the city’s attempts to become the UK centre for athletics. £12 million has recently been spent on Alexander Stadium, with facilities upgraded, a new stand built and the sport’s governing body UK Athletics having moved their headquarters to the stadium.
It is estimated that having the USA and Jamaican teams in Birmingham will bring up to £20 million into the city in direct expenditure and related spin-offs.