Tennyson poem in Olympic Village

The wall in the athlete's village

Words from one of Lincolnshire born Alfred Lord Tennyson's poems will be engraved on a wall in the Olympic Village.

"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield", from Ulysses, will stand at the centre and be seen by athletes from all countries.

Tennyson statue in the grounds of Lincoln Cathedral

It'll be 60 metres long and its aim will be to inspire athletes competing in the 2012 London Games.

It was selected by a panel that included Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and author Sebastian Faulks.

Paul Palmer, from Lincoln, is a former Olympic swimmer who was a silver medal winner in 1996: "I can't see how it can fail. If you're someone who takes things very seriously then certain things can resonate and just a few lines like this will make people stop, pause and think about not only the magnitude of what they're doing and the enormity of it but it will also encourage them to face their fears.

"It is a scary thing to compete in the Olympic Games especially if you are feeling the pressure of being a medal hope and words like this can help you take stock of the situation."