Flying the flag for olympic success

The Borough of Rochdale will be flying the flag on Sunday to celebrate the official beginning of the London Olympiad in 2012.

Towns and cities across the country are raising the official 2012 flag to coincide with the closing of the Beijing Olympic Games and the handing over of the flame and flag to London. The flag will be raised outside Rochdale Town Hall at approximately 2.30pm by the Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Robin Parker, timed to coincide with the ceremony in Beijing.

Link4Life, the Rochdale Boroughwide Cultural Trust, will be marking the occasion by launching their Athlete Development Programme which will provide support for talented local athletes training for selection for the London Games as well as supporting grass roots sport for children taking their first steps into competition.

Special guest on the day will be Paralympian athlete Simon Jackson MBE, winner of three gold medals and three times World Champion and awarded his MBE in 1996 for his services to Judo. Visually disabled Mr Jackson, now retired from judo, has recently joined the GB cycling team. Having teamed up with former world record holder Barney Storey – acknowledged as one of the best in the sport - Mr Jackson caused a sensation at the Paralympic World Cup at Manchester Velodrome in May taking two Silver Medals in his first ever competition. Having narrowly missed out on the trials for Beijing he will be training hard for selection for 2012. 

Mr Jackson will be presented with a Talented Athlete Award by Link4Life together with a training grant of £1,000 and lifetime free membership of the company’s fitness facilities. A similar award will be made to Keri-Anne Payne, the 20 year old Heywood-born swimmer who inspired the world this week by taking Silver in the gruelling 10km open water event. Ms Payne’s parents, Pat and Jim Payne, will represent her at the event.

Ms Payne, along with the GB Team, will be in London to meet Her Majesty the Queen on her return to the UK and plans are now being made to give her a heroine’s welcome in Heywood together with a formal civic reception to be hosted by the Mayor of Rochdale.