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Dave Weir relishes opportunity to visit the Olympic Park
UKA blog and London 2012 video diary. 19 May 2010
Just over 800 days away from the start of London 2012, Double Paralympic Champion Dave Weir jumped at the chance to visit the Olympic Park for the first time last week….......
Looking back to when London was announced as the host city, is already five years ago! It sticks in my mind, that day as I was getting a flight home from a race in Switzerland. As I got off the flight, I heard the news over the tanoid at Gatwick airport. I was ecstatic; I couldn’t believe I would be able to compete at a home Paralympic Games.
Driving up to the edge of the Olympic Park, my first view of the Olympic stadium was quite unbelievable, to see the stadium with your own eyes is something else, from any pictures on the television. The development of the Olympic park is happening so fast and I feel really lucky to be one of the few people to have been shown inside the Olympic stadium.
It was breathtaking to be actually inside the stadium, looking down at the middle where the track will be laid. It did make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. The bowl design of the stadium makes it feel quite small and compact inside, you kind of wonder how 80,000 people will fit in!
I have seen so many stadiums abroad; it struck me that it’s almost surreal to have such a massive stadium in our country and in my home city of London!
The site seems the perfect place for us to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the construction of the Olympic village is impressive and all the facilities are so close together. One of the LOCOG team, explained to me about the wild flowers and meadows in the park, it really does sound amazing and you can see it taking shape. There are trees being planted already, I have no doubt that its going to be something really special when the Olympic Park is ready to welcome the world.
I am expecting the atmosphere to be something else, in Beijing it was amazing but I know the British crowds will really get behind us. The British people are so passionate and that is what I love about our country. The noise will be deafening in London and I think for some younger less experienced athletes that will be hard to deal with.
I can imagine competing in the stadium now; I would love to see it again a few times during the development before completion. I need to make sure my family and friends all register for tickets now, I don’t want them all relying on me to get them tickets. I really hope my daughter Ronie (age 6) will be there for most of my events. I was explaining to her that I went to see the stadium, but she doesn’t really understand. She remembers when I went away to Beijing and came home with medals; she knows it is like that but in London!
For the next 12 months, I have set out my racing programme which includes the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, then Great North Run and New York Marathon later in the year. The World Championships in January is really important to me, in my preparation for London 2012, competing against the best in the world. I won three Golds last time around, it was a great Championships for me.
Unfortunately, the Commonwealth Games does not factor in my race plans, which is really disappointing as I have never represented England and I would love to. But the timing does not work out for me, so close to the World championships and it takes a big chunk out of your winter training, which other athletes have mentioned. What is important is that every decision is taken on performance first and foremost. So ensuring I have a successful IPC World Championships in January – when it is key to helping me qualify for the 2012 Paralympics, is the priority. I do have some concerns about the security, but my comments were exaggerated in the media recently and nothing compared to how I feel about my Paralympic preparation.
My journey to London 2012 is so important and I have to make the right decisions for me, so it is price that I am prepared to pay. I’m really excited about London 2012 and I hope to be part of a massive change in the profile of Paralympic sport in this country, can’t wait!
View Dave’s video on the London 2012 website, click on videos;