More than 600 training venues available

Teams competing at the London 2012 Olympics will have more than 600 training venues to choose from across Britain, organisers said yesterday.

The venues will be included in a Pre-Games Training Camp Guide to be published at this year's Beijing Olympics.

The 2012 organising committee (LOCOG) also confirmed that national Olympic committees will be offered sums up to £25,000 ($49,630) to encourage them to use British training camps which will be located in schools, universities, sports clubs and leisure centres all over the country.

The money will come from LOCOG's two billion pounds budget.

LOCOG hope to bring the benefits of the 2012 Games to all parts of Britain, although the sporting action will take place predominantly at the Olympic Park in east London.

"We said that we wanted the London Games to be for athletes, and the facilities listed in this guide will really help overseas athletes prepare well," LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe said in a statement.

"It also provides a great opportunity for towns throughout the United Kingdom to get involved in our plans.

"The process we have been through shows a great spread of high-quality facilities throughout the UK that can be used by elite level athletes."

Among the venues which could become training camps are Twickenham rugby stadium, Cambridge University, Man. United's Trafford training base and the National Exhibition centre in Birmingham.