Edwards: Road to London 2012 begins in the North-East

4:44pm Thursday 28th August 2008

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JONATHAN Edwards believes UK Athletics' build-up to the 2012 London Olympic Games will begin at this Sunday's Aviva British Grand Prix in Gateshead.

Christine Ohuruogu, the new Olympic 400m champion, heads a field which includes all four medalists from the recent Games in Beijing.

Germaine Mason and Phillips Idowu, silver medallists in the high jump and triple jump respectively, plus Natasha Danvers, who took bronze in the 400m hurdles, join Ohuruogu at the final international event in the country this summer.

And Edwards, himself a triple jump gold medal-winner in Sydney, believes the stage is set for Britain's athletes to move on from Beijing and take the first step on the road to the London games in four years time.

He said: "We have the Olympics next and it seems like the whole country was watching Beijing, so Gateshead is an ideal chance to start the journey to 2012.

"From an athletes point of view, everyone who competed in Beijing now realises that they are on show for the next four years, so will be keen to impress.

"I can't wait for next Sunday and I am pretty sure most of the athletes will be feeling the same.

"The North-East is a sporting region, there will be a great crowd, a party atmosphere and I am expecting a warm welcome for all the athletes taking part."

Edwards was keen to point out that, despite some disappointments for the British track and field team in China, nothing should detract from the achievements of the four Brits who won medals in Beijing.

And of those that did not perform as well as they would have liked, he believes there is no time like the present to start erasing the bad memories.

"Team GB as a whole did well and within that there was Christine Ohuruogu, Germaine Mason, Phillips Idowu and Natasha Danvers who all won medals," he continued.

"They won them deservedly and they will be on show at Gateshead and I am sure the public will give them the reception they deserve.

"Those who didn't do quite so well have a chance to put things right, so that is a big motivation for them.

"It would be for me, and I know there are some individuals who will want to prove a few doubters wrong.

"But I think the fact that the Team GB as a whole did well will guarantee a pretty amazing atmosphere on Sunday."

There will be 18 Olympic medalists competing, including Jamaican 100m winner Shelly-Ann Fraser and Ethiopias long distance sensation Tirunesh Dibaba, who won double gold in the 5,000metres and 10,000metres.