The Great Britain Olympic Athletics Team (UK Athletics) starts, this Sunday, the 22nd, at the Vila Real de Santo António Sports Complex, a stage of preparation for the 2012 Olympics.
The preparation will last until the 5th of August, so the athletes will only travel to London two days before the respective competitions.
Names such as Phillips Idowu, silver medalist in triple jump at the 2008 Olympics, David Greene, world champion in 2011 meters hurdles, or Dwain Chambers, world champion in indoor track, will pass through the VRSA Sports Complex.
In the case of Phillips Idowu, this is the second time, within two months, that the athlete has been based in the region, after having passed through Vila Real de Santo António in May, when, in an interview with a national newspaper, praised the technical staff of the Sports Complex.
The choice of VRSA is aimed at preparing UK Athletics outside their own country, thus escaping the environmental pressure surrounding the London Olympics.
The option for the sports infrastructure in Vila Real was taken in 2008, after the British officials visited a few more sports complexes in Europe, a fact that proves the quality of the city's sports facilities and its affirmation in the international context.
Since then, the VRSA Sports Complex has hosted the pre-event stages of the British selection to participate in the 2009 World Cups (Berlin) and 2010 European Championships (Barcelona).
The VRSA Sports Complex is a reference for the training of teams and athletes in various sports. Currently, it is one of the most accredited at national and European level, having already hosted and organized numerous athletics, football, tennis and other sports events both nationally and internationally.
It has been accredited by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) since 2002.
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