Japanese Olympic delegates learn from Sheffield expertise

Delegates from Kawasaki City with a vision to create lasting Olympic Legacy visited Sheffield as part of a UK trip to learn from our successes from the London 2012 Games.

Delegates from the city of Kawasaki, which will host Team GB’s pre-games training camp in four years, visited the Olympic Legacy Park and other sport and health sites on Monday.

They met staff involved in the city’s successful ‘Lighting the Flame for Sport’ strategy for the 2012 London games.

Olympic Legacy Park project leader David Hobson said: “It was an honour to welcome the delegation from Kawasaki to Sheffield.

“As an official 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games host town, Kawasaki is aiming to create a sporting, health research, education and cultural legacy from the Games and we were extremely proud to have the opportunity to showcase the Olympic Legacy Park as an example of best practice.

“As the biggest project of its kind developed outside London following the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, countries across the world are turning to the Olympic Legacy Park as an exemplar of legacy to learn from our experience and replicate the innovative model we are creating in Sheffield.”

The delegates also visited the Advanced Manufacturing Park and Research Centre, where research and engineering to develop innovations in sports technology is carried out.

The city council’s cabinet member for culture, sport and leisure Mary Lea said: “It is always a pleasure to welcome visitors to Sheffield and we were delighted to host guests from our friendship city Kawasaki and proudly share our knowledge, experience and successes following the 2012 London Games.

“We are seeing our Olympic Legacy vision become a reality here with world class facilities for sport, health, education, research and engineering being developed across the city and we are more than happy to support Kawasaki with their own Olympic vision.

“It’s clear evidence that what’s happening in Sheffield is catching the eye of major international cities as they look to Sheffield as an example of best practice.

“This close relationship is also an opportunity to learn from each other and I look forward seeing their Olympic plans develop as well as our friendship with the city.”