Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Presented by Hugh Muir and produced by Peter Sale

Guardian Focus Podcast: Why is the Olympic sporting legacy off track?

The Olympics coming to London was supposed to transform Britain into a sporting powerhouse, with targets set that would get millions of us involved in sport. Despite £480m having been spent, though, we're some way off these targets.

Hugh Muir explores whether it is possible to work with the best athletes to ensure a good haul of gold medals in 2012 while simultaneously increasing sports participation for the general public.

He visits the fencing club Newham Swords to see how the extra funding has helped Olympic hopefuls develop, and drops in on Harringay Police Community Boxing Club, which has not seen a penny of the Olympic funds and is in dire need of investment. The Mayor of Newham, Robin Wales, explains how the government's cuts to council funding are hampering the host borough's sporting progress.

Hugh is then joined in the studio by the Guardian's Owen Gibson, Chief Executive of Sport England Jennie Price and the London Mayor's Sports Commissioner Kate Hoey to debate the key issues and look at what needs to be done.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.