Footballers, archers and shooters are already at the University in what is the biggest ParalympicsGB multi-sport preparation camp before the start of London 2012 on August 29.

The Bath preparation camp is being overseen by ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Craig Hunter and Deputy Chef de Mission of Performance Penny Briscoe.

Briscoe paid tribute to the lottery funding that has made such a state-of-the-art camp possible.

"We have raised the bar in our preparations in this four-year cycle but so, too, have other nations," said Briscoe

"A big difference for Paralympic sport since Beijing has definitely been the uplift in lottery funding."

Athletes in Bath are using the £30 million ($47 million/€38 million) Sports Training Village and on-campus accommodation, while a large marquee area (pictured below) has been erected to replicate the kind of dining facility they will encounter once in the Athletes' Village at London.


"It is all about creating a multi-sport base environment which replicates some the Games-time environment so that it is more familiar to both athletes and staff," added Briscoe.

Although the majority of the ParalympicsGB team is in Bath, some sports have based themselves elsewhere.

The athletics team, which features the likes of Britain's double Paralympic wheelchair racing champion Dave Weir, are in Portugal, while the cycling team and swimmers have chosen to remain at their traditional training homes in Newport and Manchester respectively.

Rowing is also staying at its national training base at Caversham and judo is at its national base in Dartford.

However, all the sports will join together in London at the end of the week as they move into the Athletes' Village ready for the start of the Games.

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