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South East Sporting Heritage

The South East has a long association with the Olympics and Paralympics, having produced Olympic greats such as Sir Steve Redgrave and Roger Black and being home to the birthplace of the Paralympics at Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire. The region is looking forward to playing its part in the London 2012 Olympic Games with events in Berkshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Dorset. 

Rowing, Kayaking & Paralympic Rowing: Dorney Lake, Buckinghamshire.

Dorney Lake is a 2,200m eight-lane rowing course, with a separate lane alongside it that competitors use to warm up and return to the start of the course. It has been chosen as one of the venues to host the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Over 18 days during the Games, Dorney Lake will host Olympic Canoe/Kayak (Flatwater), Rowing and Paralympic Rowing events. It will have capacity for 20,000 seated spectators and a further 10,000 along the bank.

Cycling: Surrey

The Olympic Cycling Road Race is a race of 140 men and 70 women covering up to 250km. The route will start in London and do a loop of Surrey before returning to London. See a map of the Olympic Cycling Road Race route.The Time Trial event will take place on  Wednesday 1 August 2012. It will be contested individually against the clock over a distance of 44km for men and 29km for women. The fastest time will be awarded the Olympic gold. See a map of the Olympic Cycling Time Trial route.

Paralympic Road Race, Brand's Hatch, Kent

Brands Hatch near Sevenoaks, Kent, will host the Paralympic Road Cycling events which will take place from 5 to 8 September 2012.

The riders will race round a course that passes through the Kent county and the district of Sevenoaks in Kent. The former F1 Grand Prix circuit at Brands Hatch will be the base of approximately half of the course including the start and finish. The remaining race will take place on local roads nearby.

Sailing: Weymouth & Portland

Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour will be the venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing competitions. It was the first London 2012 Games venue to be finished.

Weymouth and Portland provides some of the best natural sailing waters in the UK and the 14 days of competition should offer plenty of excitement and drama for onlookers.

At the Paralympic Games, athletes compete in three mixed events: the Single-handed, Two-Person and Three-Person Keelboat competitions. Each event consists of a series of races sailed over a six-day period, averaging two races a day.

Pre-Games Training camps in South East England

With 130 approved sporting facilities, the South East has the greatest number of potential training camps for Olympic and Paralympic athletes. As well as the fantastic range of sports facilities we have to offer, the athletes are drawn to the region because of our proximity to London, which not only makes access easier, but also promises a similar climate – very useful for teams who need to acclimatise before the Games.

Stoke Mandeville

Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire is the birthplace of the modern Paralympic Games, starting its own Games in 1948 with disabled British servicemen. Twenty years later work started on a Stoke Mandevillle Sports Stadium and the centre, now The National Centre for Disability Sport, boasts the highest grade of facilities for our leading sportsmen and women. Sports facilities are open to the local community and plays host to sports camps, training academies, conferences and celebrations.

Latest press release:Stoke Mandeville to host London Paralympic Torch Relay