Nigeria's Olympic athletes to train in Surrey

Athletes from Nigeria are to be based in Surrey as part of their preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

They will stay at key sports venues across the county, including the Surrey Sports Park and the Guildford Spectrum.

Last year, the Antigua and Barbuda Olympic teams also announced they would be training in the county.

Surrey County Council said it was doing everything it could to bring "world-class athletes" to Surrey, and talks were under way with other nations.

Councillor Denise Saliagopolous said it had been working "incredibly hard behind the scenes to sell Surrey as the best place for Olympic teams to base themselves in the run-up to and during the 2012 Games".

"Each Olympic and Paralympic organising committee has £25,000 to spend on their training for the Games which will benefit the local economy if they choose Surrey," she said.

"With teams training here, the Olympic cycling races taking place in the county and businesses winning Games-related contracts, London 2012 represents a gold rush of opportunity for Surrey."

An estimated one million spectators are expected to line the route of the men's and women's Olympic cycling road and time trial races.

By January, businesses in the county had won almost £740m worth of contracts related to London 2012.