Huge crowds at Olympic Stadium for first day of the athletics

On the day when the Olympic Stadium opened its doors to competition, Team GB was in dominant form.

Jessica Ennis is leading the heptathlon after brilliant personal bests in the 100m hurdles and 200m, solid high jump and shot.  She goes into day two with hopes of gold leading the field by 184.  Jessica trains at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield which received £24 million of Sport England investment.  Dai Greene, World Champion and Team GB Athletics Captain progressed through the men’s 400m hurdles heat and will be joined by training partner Jack Green and Rhys Williams.  In the women’s events, Yamile Aldama goes straight into the triple jump final on Sunday whilst Christine Ohuruogu came second in her 400m semi-final and Shana Cox and Lee McConnell qualifying in their heats.

All the athletes spoke of their pride at competing in front of 80,000 people and being spurred on by the home crowd’s support.    Sport England’s £450 million investment on over 50 high performance centres like Loughborough, Bath University, Bisham Abbey, Lilleshall and Manchester’s sports city where many Olympians and Paralympians train every day is producing results at the elite end of sport delighting fans and inspiring people to get involved. 

Elsewhere there were more medals for Team GB in rowing, track cycling , judo and swimming.  Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins produced gold in the Women’s double skulls with Alan Campbell winning bronze in the Men’s single skulls and George Nash and Will Satch claiming bronze in the Men’s pair.  The effects of GB’s success in the rowing is being felt immediately by British Rowing who are reporting a tenfold increase in the number visitors to their website and more than 5,500 people searching for their local rowing club.  You can find your local club on the British Rowing website.

At the Velodrome, British cyclists continued to bring home gold medals.  First the Men’s Team Pursuit beat their own World Record with Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Geraint Thomas and Peter Kennaugh following success in Beijing and later Victoria Pendleton won the Women’s Keirin meaning she will retire after London 2012 with six World titles and two Olympic gold medals.  Sport England is showing that investment brings success with the commitment to increasing participation and providing world class facilities such as £33 million in the Manchester Sports City where Team GB cyclists train.  You can join in the thousands of people who have been inspired to get on their bikes with Go Ride and Sky Rides.

There were also bronze medals for Karina Byrant in the +78kg Judo and Rebecca Adlington in 800m freestyle.  The Aquatics Centre has been packed to the rafters with spectators watching their heroes and after the Games, the Amateur Swimming Association will host a British Swimming Heroes Tour taking our Olympic swimmers around the UK to inspire the nation.

The Local Government Association reports that Local Authorities are seeing large numbers of people flocking to their leisure facilities inspired by the Games and wanting to give sport a go.