York could be transformed into a pre-Olympic village if the London 2012 Games bid is successful after sports facilities in the city were given a resounding thumbs up.

World-class athletes from 18 Olympic and 11 Paralympic disciplines could set up a home from home in the build-up to the Games after York University and Huntington Stadium were branded as "international standard".

And such a prospect could bring £600million into the region.

The idea was first mentioned when representatives from Sport England, Yorkshire Forward and sports minister Richard Caborn visited the city in February to show the support of the Yorkshire region for the London 2012 bid by projecting the logo onto the west wing of the Minster.

But the proposition is now even more of a reality following an extensive consultation across the region to catalogue the facilities available, with York clearly on the map.

David Gent, regional director of Sport England (Yorkshire), who commissioned the survey along with Yorkshire Forward, said: "Irrespective of whether we (London) host the Games in 2012, we as a region should be promoting the facilities that can be used in Yorkshire in preparation for sporting events across Europe.

"The attitude has often been 'they will all want to go to Sheffield', but, while Sheffield is very good, there are lots of other cities in the region that are capable of hosting training camps and York is very much one of them."

More than 200 Olympic associations will be competing in 2012 meaning more than 14,500 athletes and 8,500 coaches and officials will need to find a home from home for the weeks and months beforehand as they possibly acclimatise to the English weather and get in last-minute practices.

Current national sports centres in Loughborough, Manchester and Sheffield will all be in demand by Olympic big-hitters such as Australia, USA and China.

But the sheer numbers will force other teams to look further afield and York, with its international standard facilities, sports science expertise at York St John College and excellent rail links to London, will head many lists.

Teams from Commonwealth countries like India would be well-suited to the city with a delegation of between 100-150 and specialist sports such as hockey, archery and tennis.

Scandinavian countries such as Sweden could also bed down in North Yorkshire with extensive equestrian centres at Richmond, Catterick Garrison and Bramham Park.

Olympic and Paralympic disciplines that can be trained for at York University - wrestling, basketball, boxing, fencing, 7-a-side football, handball, hockey, judo, table tennis, tennis, tae kwondo, archery, baseball, softball, volleyball, weightlifting, boccia, shooting, wheelchair tennis, goalball, powerlifting, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby.

At Huntington Stadium - athletics.

At Catterick - weightlifting, judo, boxing, table tennis, tae kwondo, equestrianism, football, powerlifting, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby.

Updated: 10:56 Wednesday, May 18, 2005