Bath chosen as ParalympicsGB base

The British Paralympic team will be based at the University of Bath as they begin preparations for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Athletes, coaches and staff will attend camps at the university's Claverton campus between now and the Games.

The British team chose Bath after assessing eight potential venues.

ParalympicsGB have finished second in the overall medals table at the last three Paralympic Games and in Beijing won 102 medals, including 42 golds.

The team's haul in Beijing was bettered only by the host nation, with the pre-Games camp seen as key factor in their success.

"Research has shown that these camps are crucial to the team's final preparation," said Phil Lane, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association.

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"We have been successful at the past four Games and we know that other nations would love to topple us on our home patch.

"Our preparation camps for Beijing played a vital role in securing our success and we are convinced that with Bath as a partner we can raise the bar in everything we do."

Penny Briscoe, performance director of ParalympicsGB, said there were a number of factors behind the decision to chose Bath.

"The Bath bid stood out not just because of the facilities on offer at the sports training village and the ability to create a secure environment where athletes can focus solely on their training, but also because of their desire to partner with us in talent identification, sports science, medicine and coaching.

"That work will begin right now and we believe will carry on post 2012 leaving a lasting legacy for British Paralympic sport."

Ged Roddy, Director of Sport at the University of Bath, said: "We are honoured to be chosen to host the British Paralympic team ahead of 2012.

"The British Paralympic team have been outstandingly successful at recent Games and we aim to provide them with a strong platform to continue that success at London 2012."

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