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Olympic Games 2012

Isle of Wight to be part of Olympic Torch route

Details of the Isle of Wight’s part in the Olympic Torch UK relay in advance of the 2012 Games can now be revealed.

The announcement of the Island route follows more than a year’s confidential discussions between the Isle of Wight Council and the London Olympic Organising Committee (Locog).
 
The torch will arrive in Yarmouth on 14 July and visit Totland, Yarmouth, The Needles, Gunville, Carisbrooke, Newport and East Cowes before returning to the mainland to continue its 70 day UK tour.
 
The flame will be carried by around 40 people throughout the route. Details of these runners will be made available at a later date.

'A great honour'
 
Councillor George Brown, the council's cabinet member for the economy and the environment, said he was delighted the Island would be playing its full part in the UK relay and said the day would be one to remember. It would also ensure the Island’s profile was brought to a global audience.
 
He said: “It is a great honour to be part of the Olympic Torch route. The council will now work with local organisations and companies including Wightlink and Red Funnel to ensure the day runs smoothly and is well prepared.
 
“This could be a once in a lifetime moment to view the torch on our own island and I know the local community will turn out in large numbers to welcome and cheer on the bearers next summer. The Olympics is a very special event and I am glad the Island, which can boast Olympic medal winning athletes in the past, is playing its full part in the build up.”

Confidentiality agreement
 
Lee Matthews from the council has been liaising directly with Locog and said: “There has been lots of work going on behind the scenes for over a year, and the council and has worked extremely hard to bring the torch here. It is fantastic we can now finally confirm this great news to the public.
 
"There was some confusion when Locog made an initial announcement in May about the torch destinations, and some assumptions were made locally that the Isle of Wight was to miss out. However as we said at the time that announcement only confirmed the overnight stop locations and the six islands that required the extra logistics of taking a flight, and that a further announcement would be made later in the year.
 
“We had already signed a confidentiality agreement with Locog about the torch coming to the Island and obviously we could not announce our involvement until the national announcement was made today. The council will now continue to work hard behind the scenes with its partners to ensure the 14 July is a memorable day for local communities and sport on the Isle of Wight.”

Full route

The Torch will arrive on the Island via vehicle convoy in Yarmouth on 14 July 2012 at 12.05pm on the Wightlink sailing before making its way into Totland. From there, the first Torch bearer will begin the run towards The Needles.

The Torch will then be taken by convoy to Yarmouth, where a bearer will restart the relay through the village. The convoy will then take the flame to the top of Gunville, where the relay will see the torch travel through Carisbrooke and Newport town centres past Medina Leisure Centre.

From there, the torch will be taken by convoy to East Cowes, before making its way to the town centre, finishing on the 4.30pm Red Funnel ferry where it will go to Southampton for an overnight stop and evening celebration event.

Isle of Wight approved by the London Olympic 2012 organisers

Following on from the success of being the chosen hosts for The Island Games 2011, the Isle of Wight has also been approved by the London Olympic 2012 organisers as an Official Pre-Games Training Camp for four different sports; sailing, athletics, indoor volleyball and basketball.

The Isle of Wight’s facilities include the Fairway Athletics Track, Medina Leisure Centre and Cowes Combined Sailing Clubs, the latter being situated in the home of sailing and the world famous Cowes Week Regatta.

A Pre-Games Training Guide has been produced by the Isle of Wight Council, and is backed by both the Leader of the Council David Pugh and Double Olympic Gold Medallist and Isle of Wight Camps Ambassador Shirley Robertson. The guide gives a flavour of what the Island has to offer and how proud it is to be able to welcome teams here to aid their preparations for the Games.

As well as its fantastic training facilities, the Island has a whole lot more to offer Olympic teams. There is accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, sandy beaches, beautiful countryside and plenty of delicious things to eat and drink, all of which will help the athletes relax in between their intense preparations for the Olympics.

If you are planning on attending the Olympics Pre-Training or the Games themselves either in London or Weymouth, the Isle of Wight is an ideal base for the duration of your stay as it is conveniently located between the two sites. Click here for more details on how to get to the Isle of Wight and where to stay, eat and drink or telephone 01983 813813.