HUDDERSFIELD athletics hero Derek Ibbotson opened new facilities at the town's Galpharm Stadium today - and officially launched Yorkshire's own Olympic effort.
Derek, who was the 5000m bronze medallist in the 1956 Melbourne Games, cut a ribbon to open the stadium's expanded ticket office, reception area and shop.
He was joined by stadium chairman Sir John Harman and David Gent, regional director of Sport England.
The opening came as the stadium gears up for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games.
The stadium was also hosting Sport England's conference, Planning for the Games - Yorkshire's Olympic Launch, to consider how the region can benefit from the 2012 London Olympics.
Athletes from around the world could use Yorkshire's facilities to acclimatise and train for the games.
The stadium is one of the region's top facilities highlighted as a potential venue for competitors.
Mr Ibbotson said: "Having Olympic people training here would be a big benefit to the town.
"Huddersfield is a big sporting town and it was the greatest news to read in the Examiner that at last we are getting a new running track at Leeds Road."
The £500,000 improvements involved extending the stadium frontage to provide a bigger ticket office, reception and shop as well as 2,000sq ft of first floor office space to let.
Sir John, a former leader of Kirklees Council, welcomed the improvements at the stadium.
"The Galpharm Stadium has ambitions to host more and more international events," he said. "The investment in upgrading this already world-class facility demonstrates once again our enthusiasm to operate at the very top of world sport.
"We have aspirations to play a role in the 2012 Olympics and are already working alongside organisations like Sport England to achieve this."
Mr Gent said community sport in Yorkshire would get a big boost from the 2012 Olympics and added: "The conference has begun to plan the community sport legacy of the 2012 Olympics - which will see Yorkshire developing the skills and number of community and club coaches and local volunteers; working to make institutional and corporate sports facilities available for community use and enabling our talented young athletes to go on to be Olympians and Paralympians."
