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Basildon Sporting Village is a £38million state-of-the-art complex which offers venues for athletics, boxing, fencing, gymnastics and judo as well as the Olympic-size pool, which the Japanese swimming federation squad are set to use as their training base ahead of 2012.

Goodhew feels part of the legacy of the London Games will be to inspire the next generation of Olympians.

"It is about time we had more 50metre pools, and I am really pleased for the people around this part of Essex that at last they have something of this quality, and something which really will inspire kids to become involved in the sport," he said."It is, though, beyond just the facilities, it is about engagement of young people in the pursuit of excellent and the process of living, whatever they turn that into, whether it is just one length or entering into a swimathon."