The Jumpers Rebound Centre in Gillingham

by Alex Hoad

Thousands of the world’s top athletes will converge on the south east this summer to begin preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Many of these elite sportsmen and women will call Kent home in the run-up to the big event, with pre-Games training camps in several locations.

As well as the football stadium at Gillingham and the athletics tracks at Tonbridge School and Medway Park, there are also facilities for gymnastics and trampolining at the Jumpers Rebound Centre, which adjoins Medway Park in Gillingham.

Martin Laws, managing director of the Mill Road centre, is rightly proud of the facilities, which were part-funded by Gillingham Jumpers and the National Lottery.

Mr Laws said: "I’m proud we can be involved in the Games and it’s a good opportunity to put ourselves, Medway and Kent on the map.

"We have been working towards this moment since before the Games were even awarded to London and we firmly believe this is our time."

The Canadian and Portuguese trampolining squads are expected to use the state-of-the-art centre in Gillingham after a successful trial earlier this year.

Gymnasts from the two countries, as well as the USA, used the centre to train ahead of the London Prepares test event at the O2 Arena in January.

Great Britain’s Olympic hopeful Kat Driscoll – originally from Walderslade but now based in the north-east – also used the centre to prepare for her appearance at the Olympic test event.