AS the countdown to London 2012 continues, the Welwyn Hatfield Times can reveal that a second Olympic team could be set to use Welwyn Hatfield as a pre-Games training camp.

It emerged this week that Alfred Emmanuel, the secretary general of the St Lucia Olympic Committee, visited Gosling Sports Park, in WGC, and the Hertfordshire Sports Village, in Hatfield, with a view to using their facilities in the run up to the 30th Olympiad.

This followed on from the news that St Lucia’s fellow West Indians, the British Virgin Islands (BVI), will be training in WGC and Hatfield ahead of the Games in July 2012.

Gosling operational director Nicola Jaggard said: “It was a pleasure to meet with the St Lucia committee and show them our fantastic grounds.

“Gosling is excited about the Olympics and welcomes the St Lucian team and other teams to use Gosling as their main training base.

“Gosling has a friendly and professional team and would be a great asset to any athletes, coaches and sports people looking to train here in the run up to 2012.”

Nick Brooking, director of sport at the Hertfordshire Sports Village, said he was “really pleased” to welcome Mr Emmanuel to his facility.

Mr Brooking added: “As an approved pre-Games training camp for the Olympics and Paralympics, St Lucia chose to visit us to view the �15m state-of-the-art facilities and we sincerely hope they choose Hertfordshire as their home for their preparation camps prior to 2012.”

Earlier this month, discus thrower Eric Matthias became the first BVI athlete to visit the county ahead of 2012.

Matthias, 26, who competed at the 2008 Games in Beijing, lodged in Aston, while training at Gosling and the Sports Village.