Last updated at 14:00, Wednesday, 18 February 2009

OLYMPIC archers could train in West Cumbria in the run up to London 2012.

West Cumbria’s very own Olympic archer Alan Wills and Copeland’s mayor Keith Hitchen have been getting their heads together to come up with ideas for an archery camp.

They hope the camp would be used by archers from across the world to train at and get used to the British climate.

Plans are in the early stages, but councillor Hitchen said a possible location could be at the Cumbria Sports Academy in Hensingham – formally called Copeland Athletics Stadium.

Mr Wills said that a major part of an athlete’s training before the Olympics is to go to the host country and get used to the weather conditions.

In 2006 and 2007, he went to Beijing to train ahead of last year’s Olympics, where he was shooting his arrows in temperatures up to 40 degrees and 100 per cent humidity.

He said: “If other countries coming to England want to try out the different weather, where better to come than West Cumbria? It can be nice and warm in summer and then raining. I don’t think West Cumbria is involved in the Olympics currently. It would be a shame if we missed out.”

In last year’s Olympics, 27-year-old Mr Wills finished in the top 16 in the men’s archery heat. He is hopeful that he will be competing in 2012, but said that he will not find out until May of that year after the selection process.

Cllr Hitchen, who is currently looking at the proposals with the council officers, said: “Our sports people at Copeland are now looking at what the possibilities are of this happening.

“We are looking to the future. If we have an Olympic archer on our doorstep in West Cumbria, why not bring others here to train?”

First published at 11:48, Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk