For the past year, Australia’s state-of-the-art sports training centre in northern Italy has been supporting our key Olympic and Paralympic athletes as they focus on the London 2012 Games.

Officially launched on 3 March 2011 in Italy by the Minister for Sport, Mark Arbib, the Australian Institute of Sport's (AIS) European Training Centre (ETC) has become a key destination for Australian teams and athletes competing and training in the lead-up to the Olympics and Paralympics.

Senator Arbib said the AIS ETC has been providing our key sports with the competitive edge.

‘We are up against the super powers of sport in terms of the money being spent by other countries, so we have to be smarter and more strategic about our resources. The ETC is a great example of this,’ said Senator Arbib.

Located in the town of Gavirate in the picturesque Province of Varese, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) centre enhances Australia’s ability to maintain its competitive advantage when our athletes are training or competing overseas.

The training centre offers exceptional amenities to visiting athletes, such as ensuite bedrooms; self-catering kitchens; dining hall and café; internet café; strength and conditioning gym; athlete career and education study hall; massage area; and recovery pools.

The training centre also hosts sports physiotherapy and medicine consultation rooms; sport physiology and biomechanics laboratory; performance analysis room; and sport nutritional advice.

The European Training Centre is truly a ‘home away from home’ for Australia’s sporting elite.

The Australian Government contributed $12.5 million to establish the AIS ETC, which is managed and operated by the Australian Sports Commission. The facility is available to all elite Australian athletes training or competing in Europe.