RISING athletics stars in Southampton have been given a boost with a £200,000 revamp of the city’s running track.

A new surface, at the Outdoor Sports Centre near Bassett, has been laid to ensure that the track complies with International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) standards.

Leisure bosses hope the work on the track, built in 2000 for the Millennium Youth Games, will signal a new era in athletics.

Olympic medallists Roger Black, Kriss Akabusi and Iwan Thomas all began their careers in Southampton.

The track is now home to a new generation of elite athletes, including Commonwealth 400m runner Robert Tobin, 3,000m steeplechase U20 European bronze medal winner Louise Webb, U17 400m hurdler Sean Adams, and Freya Jones, an exceptional javelin athlete, who is currently second in the World for U16 Girls and a London 2012 Olympics hopeful.

Councillor John Hannides, Cabinet member for leisure, culture and heritage, said: “Southampton City Council was delighted to make this investment in athletics in the city. We now have a first class athletics track, which we hope will help to nurture the next generation of Southampton sports stars.

“Just as significantly, this opening marks the launch of a partnership between Southampton City Council and Active Nation in working partnership with DC Leisure, which will see a renewed focus and improvement to leisure facilities throughout the city.”