A shame the impetus of 2012 just petered out

Cast your mind back to the heady days of 2012 when the Olympic Games came to London and there was a gleam of optimism and revitalisation in the air. Team GB’s gold medal success and the overwhelming success of the games raised high hopes for the future of sport, and there were expectations of major investment in new and improved facilities up and down the land.

Meanwhile, concern was growing over rising levels of child obesity and the focus of health education was all about getting kids off their PlayStations and out in the fresh air for some exercise.

So, how has that all worked out for Portsmouth? What is our legacy from 2012?

Fast forward to 2021 and one of the most densely-populated cities in Europe, home to

£238,000 people, has just two swimming pools open to the public — one at the Mountbatten Centre and one at Charter Community Sports centre.

What’s more, the 50m pool at Mountbatten is only partially open because of ongoing problems with its moveable floor.

The pandemic put paid to the decrepit Victorian facilities at Eastney Swimming Pool, and the fun pools at the Pyramids are now a soft play centre.

If you fancy going for a swim, you’ll need to plan ahead, because high demand makes booking essential.

No chance of just turning up with your trunks and diving in.

It’s heartening to hear then, in the words of Cllr Ben Dowling, that Portsmouth is in the middle of a revitalisation of swimming facilities.

A new pool will soon open at the university’s Ravelin Sports Centre, and plans are afoot for a new pool at Bransbury Park in Milton.

All good news, but such a shame that the 2012 impetus to improve facilities meant so little for Portsmouth. Think of the untapped potential that could have produced future Olympians from our great city.