10 Sep 2012
Early indications 'positive' over 2012 Olympic legacy
BY Kath Hudson
Image: The heroics of Bradley Wiggins has had a direct impact on participation numbers
A number of national governing bodies of sport have reported encouraging increases in participation figures following the 2012 Olympics.
British Cycling’s membership is now at a record high – with 4,000 joining in the month after Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France - and 163,000 people have taken up cycling this year, including 53,000 women.
Taster sessions at the country’s velodromes are fully booked for the next four months, and visits to the British Cycling website have doubled compared to last year.
Hockey clubs are also reporting a spike in interest – England Hockey estimates that if even half of the people who have shown an interest in playing do decide to take up the sport, it would account for another 18,000 participants.
Lincoln Roses, based in the home county of GB stars, Georgie Twigg and Crista Cullen, had 100 new people turn up at the first training session after the Olympics. Last year the club had a membership base of 129.
Meanwhile, British Canoeing has seen a four-fold increase in the number of people searching for a local canoe club thorugh the BCU website since the start of the Games and a five-fold increase in web traffic generally.
British Rowing has also reported a remarkable rise in interest, with 5,500 searching the website to find their nearest club on the first rowing finals day and almost 28,000 searched during the Olympics.
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