China Olympic Athletics Team Choose Leeds as Base

As the countdown continues to the Olympic Games in London 2012, federations are entering their final phase of preparations and for most that means deciding where they will be based in the host country as they look to acclimatize.

Earlier this week, China announced that they will be based in Leeds in the northern region of Yorkshire, England.

CRI Sports' Paul Ryding spoke to the city's Olympic project manager and filed this report.

"Liu Xiang makes history" squeals the announcer back in Athens in 2004.

Liu Xiang is just one member of the star-studded team of Chinese track and field athletes to be based in Leeds in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics.

Leeds city council earlier this week announced a deal to bring the Chinese team to Leeds after sealing an agreement with the Chinese Athletics Association.

Peter Smith is a member of Leeds City Council. He has been appointed the city's project manager for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It is part of his remit to attract Olympic squads to the area and he admits attracting the Chinese Olympic team to Leeds is a major coup for the city.

"We're really looking forward to welcoming the Chinese team to Leeds. We have a sizeable Chinese resident population. So it's a great opportunity for us to engage with our Chinese community, it's clearly going to provide opportunities for the business community, for our cultural sector to really get involved with the Olympic Games. "

A delegation from the Chinese Athletics Association had been scouting suitable locations around England. Smith says the CAA considered bids to host the Chinese team on the basis of a package and not solely on its ability to provide top facilities.

"Leeds Metropolitan University there is a very good track and all the facilities you would expect to find there. But we've got quite a new accommodation block that's been built along the side of the track. The university is in a very nice location so it's green, it's pleasant. And I'm confident that what we can provide for the Chinese team is a real welcome to Leeds, and hopefully all the assistance they need to ensure when it comes to London, we've given them a great platform to succeed."

Peter Smith spoke of his excitement at having a group of the world's most popular athletes in Leeds. I asked him about the prospect of having Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder Liu Xiang training in Leeds.

"Obviously he had a really successful Asian Games in terms of winning the gold there and in a very good time so it would be great that we could help him resurrect his Olympic career after the challenges he faced in Beijing in 2008."

The city will host Olympic teams from Serbia, the Netherlands and the United States. As one of England's biggest cities, Leeds can expect to host more teams as federations begin their final preparations for next year's extravaganza.

Leeds is expected to benefit financially from having Team China based there but Smith was more excited about the strong bond Leeds is building with China. If China can build on their success in Beijing three years ago, that bond is sure to be strengthened.

For CRI Sports, I'm Paul Ryding.