Olympic teams use the Bubble as a base

The University of Warwick will be involved in the 2012 Olympic Games, with Coventry hosting the event’s football matches after outbidding Birmingham, Leicester and Derby.

The Ricoh Arena, home of Coventry City Football Club, will be the new Midlands venue to host the Olympic Football matches and the University of Warwick will provide training and residential facilities for the Olympic teams.

The Ricoh Arena will be temporarily re-named the City of Coventry Stadium for the 2012 Games and Warwick’s Gibbet Hill Campus will host practice games.

Vice Chancellor Nigel Thrift was enthusiastic about Coventry’s achievements: “This is great news for the city and the University” he told Warwick Insite. “We are delighted that the University of Warwick’s superb sporting and conference facilities were able to play a key role in helping to bring these Olympic football teams to Coventry.”

“As a University we have significant experience in hosting large international sporting events and a particular experience in hosting football training and support for UK football managers operating at the highest levels of the game.”

London became the host for the 2012 Olympics in 2005 when it beat the favourite, Paris, by 54 votes to 50 at the International Olympic Committee meeting. Other competitors included Moscow, New York and Madrid. Then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, called the win “a momentous day” for Britain. It will be the first time the Olympic Games are held in Britain after 1948.