Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe declared the University’s sports facilities as ‘world-class’ during

his recent visit to the Human Performance Centre and Riseholme Park.

During his tour of the Riseholme Park campus he viewed the Equestrian facilities, which are in

the Pre-Olympic Training Camp Guide for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

He was given a demonstration by eighteen-year-old Paralympic dressage rider Sophie Wells,

who has just won the non-disabled junior international championship. Sophie is being tipped for

a medal in the 2012 Paralympics and is a Sport and Exercise Science student at the University.

The minister also joined students by taking part in a game of table tennis, which is part of the

Sport Unlimited programme.

He said: “Part of my role is to be out of Westminster and getting to see the range of things being

delivered on the ground. If we want young people to get involved in sport we need the quality of

provision to be in place. I have seen today that there are world-class facilities here in Lincoln for

elite athletes.

“There is also a strong county sports partnership in the Lincolnshire region and Community sport

is doing well. There’s no doubt that taking part in sport makes people feel better about

themselves and we need to be encouraging that.”