WHILE the nation still smarts over the failure of England’s bid to stage the World Cup, we should not lose sight of an even bigger event which is rapidly approaching – the Olympics.

Since the initial joy after the announcement that London was to host the games, public enthusiasm for the event has turned decidedly lukewarm.

Yet Oxfordshire is ideally placed to make the most of the tournament – both in terms of promoting sport and cashing in on what is potentially a huge money-spinner.

Reminding us of the value of the games to our county, yesterday, was one of Britain’s greatest ever athletes – Sir Roger Bannister, who made history by running the first sub-four-minute mile, right here in Oxford.

He described the games as a great opportunity for local sports facilities to be improved, and suggested offering the city as a pre-Olympic training destination for competitors, while stressing the need to involve young people as volunteers.

Sir Roger knows a thing or two about coming first, and we think he’s on to a winner here. Let’s all get behind Oxfordshire 2012 and grasp this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved in a world-class event.