Comment: The loss of Jess's stadium makes a joke of Olympic legacy

Why am I so I angry about the demolition of Don Valley stadium in Sheffield? This is not a misty-eyed sentimental response to the loss of a stadium in which a nine-year-old Jessica Ennis first discovered athletics. It's not solely frustration on behalf of the 1,600 young people who regularly ru...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Observer (London)
Main Authors Minichiello, Toni, Coach to Jessica Ennis
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London (UK) Guardian News & Media Limited 03.03.2013
Subjects
Ennis, Jessica
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Summary:Why am I so I angry about the demolition of Don Valley stadium in Sheffield? This is not a misty-eyed sentimental response to the loss of a stadium in which a nine-year-old Jessica Ennis first discovered athletics. It's not solely frustration on behalf of the 1,600 young people who regularly run there. It's not even just a response to the fact that Jess's chances of defending her Olympic title in Rio 2016 are now being compromised - though they are: that is a very real threat. Why is Alex Ferguson so successful? Because his club has stability and continuity. Jess's set-up is the same. She's also very much a home-town girl who has inspired a generation to get involved with athletics here. There are more than 800 kids now who train at the facility, when there used to be 340. Can you imagine if all aspiring footballers could use Manchester United's training ground alongside the players? That's the equivalent.
ISSN:0029-7712