Inside the gold medal factory: The secrets behind Team GB’s march on more Olympic glory! From onion soup to Jelly Babies… they’ve even won over the locals in French city Reims

It is on Julius Caesar Boulevard that Team GB’s army of athletes will begin their quest to rule the world this time next year. 

Down that aptly named road in Reims, you will find the state-of-the-art UCPA Sport Station, which will serve as the base for British swimmers before they bid to conquer all in Paris. And Team GB think they have stolen a march on their Olympic rivals by securing it as their stronghold ahead of the Games.

‘As soon as we saw this place, we thought, “Wow”,’ says British Swimming performance director Chris Spice. ‘We needed our friends at the British Olympic Association to secure it quickly. It is the newest 50-metre facility in France and it is so close to Paris. It is spectacular. We are very pleased to have nabbed it.’

Reims is located 80 miles northeast of Paris and is more famous for its champagne than its sport. But several of the Team GB athletes staying in the city next summer could be responsible for champagne moments at next summer’s Olympics, with their world-class boxers and gymnasts also training here.

Team GB’s other pre-Games preparation camp is in the equally salubrious city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 12 miles west of the capital. Here, Britain’s athletics, football, rugby sevens and hockey teams will be based before they move into the Olympic Village, as well as individuals from archery, fencing, golf, modern pentathlon, tennis and weightlifting.

One of Team GB’s pre-Games preparation camps is in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 12 miles west of the capital

British swimmers will use the state-of-the-art UCPA Sport Station in their quest for glory

Double gold medal-winning swimmer Tom Dean is put through his paces in training

The Mail on Sunday was recently granted an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of both Team GB bases, which they hope will become medal factories for the 300 athletes expected to pass through them.

‘These are world-leading facilities,’ says Mark England, Team GB’s long-serving chef de mission. ‘We spend a significant amount of time researching where is best for each sport. The one area we never compromise on is the training facilities for the athletes.’

England first looked round the facilities in France in 2019. Team GB then secured their first-choice bases a year later, at a time when most other nations were still finalising their plans for the delayed Tokyo Games. Ahead of Los Angeles 2028, Team GB have already completed two comprehensive recces and have a shortlist of venues, which they hope to book soon. 

‘We know the Games after that are in Brisbane so there is no reason we shouldn’t be looking at that as well,’ said England. ‘We are one of the few national Olympic committees that actually desire a multi-sport camp. I can’t think of any other nation that brings so many athletes together and creates this Team GB army.

‘Other nations try to build a team culture when they are in the Village. But when we go into the Games, we already have a strong sense of belonging and team culture and we believe that is a performance advantage.’

That ‘One Team GB’ ethos and preparation camp policy proved a performance advantage at both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, where they won 67 and 64 medals respectively. As for predictions for Paris 2024? ‘I never put a target on it,’ said England. ‘But I’m pretty confident we will have a very special Games. We are in great shape.’

In Tokyo, eight of Team GB’s medals were won in swimming, second only to the 12 taken home in cycling. ‘Our goal is to improve on that,’ said swimming chief Spice — and the work starts at that UCPA Sport Station, which has two 50m pools, one indoor and one outdoor.

At the time of our tour, the British squad are here training for their World Championships in Japan, which start on Sunday.

Dean, who won gold in the 200m freestyle in Tokyo, is impressed with the facilities in Reims

Duncan Scott – one of Team GB’s biggest successes in Tokyo – was full of praise for the facilities

Duncan Scott, who won four medals at Tokyo 2020, a record for a British athlete at a single Games, says: ‘The set-up here is amazing. Credit to the staff, each Olympics I have been to, Rio 2016 and Tokyo, they have done their homework thoroughly. The facilities we go to beforehand are world class.’

Tom Dean, who beat Scott to gold in the 200m freestyle in Tokyo, also likes what he sees. His victory three years ago sparked a 3am garden party at his mum’s in Maidenhead — but the vibe here in Reims is much more relaxed.

‘I went out for a cracking lunch yesterday,’ he says with a grin. ‘I had French onion soup, steak frites and then a crepe and an espresso. I know we are not here on a holiday, but when it’s such a nice set-up, it helps you relax. It’s that calm before the storm.’

Dean is speaking after a signing session with children from two local primary schools, who had been invited to watch the Olympic stars train. Team GB are committed to holding community engagement events as part of their contract with their host city — their way of giving back, as well as winning over a new legion of fans.

‘The children were excited to see how they train and ask them questions,’ says teacher Estelle Roy. ‘It’s really great for them to be able to speak with the team and be able to speak in English.’

Emeline Seurat, another teacher, says: ‘Maybe it can inspire them to watch the Olympics next year and say, “Yes, I saw him in the pool last year”. Reims is very proud the British swimmers are here.’

Anne Illiceto, the city’s press attache, believes children in Reims will now support Britain as their second team at the Olympics.

For the next stop on our tour, she drives us 15 minutes to the Complexe Sportif Rene Tys, the 3,000-capacity home of Reims Champagne basketball team and next to where football side Stade de Reims play.

Mark England first looked round the training complex in 2019 before securing first-choice bases a year later

One of the indoor halls here will be converted into a boxing gym for Team GB and another will be taken over by their table tennis players. A third will be used by British gymnasts and a new Olympic-standard floor is being fitted. Team GB will ship in Gymnova equipment — to match the Paris 2024 apparatus — and leave it after the Games for locals to use.

From Reims, we get a 45-minute train back into Paris and then out to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a 30-minute ride on the Metro. Here, Team GB have booked out the impressive Stade Municipal Georges Lefevre, adjacent to the old training ground of Paris Saint-Germain, who have just handed their base over to rugby club Stade Francais.

The locals have already marked British territory by decorating the outside of the sports complex with a huge banner reading: ‘Saint-Germain-en-Laye is proud to welcome Team GB.’

Paul Bouteiller, the city’s Olympic project manager, says: ‘We know Britain are one of the best teams in the world and we have the facilities to give them the best opportunity to perform at Paris. The Olympics are in Paris, but having Team GB here allows us to be a part of it. We have 125 volunteers working with Team GB on the camp. More than 250 applied. It was crazy. They can’t wait to see them come.’

Saint-Germain-en-Laye is certainly pulling out all of the stops for their guests, paying for the athletics track to be relaid to match the one being used at the Stade de France next summer. ‘We worked with Team GB on what were the specifications that they needed,’ said Bouteiller. ‘It is one of the best tracks in Paris.’

Double Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock agrees, having just tried it out with the British squad in build-up to the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris. ‘It’s probably one of my favourite tracks I’ve run on for a while,’ he said.

The Saint Germain hockey team are training as we are shown round. They will hand over their pitches to Team GB next summer. Elsewhere, the indoor tennis centre here will be transformed into a gym, with Britain bringing in top-of-the-range equipment, which they will then donate to their hosts. 

One of the indoor halls is set to be converted into a boxing gym for Team GB and another will be taken over by their table tennis players

Team GB want to improve on the eight swimming medals won at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo 

They are also taking over the Lycee Rene Auffray high school in Clichy, close to the Olympic Village. This will become their performance lodge, where athletes can complete their technical training in a more relaxed setting, as well as meet friends and family.

Over at the Village, which is still being built, Team GB have already booked their block, selecting it based on factors such as noise and which way it faces the sun. To help athletes settle, they will bring home comforts including 40,000 tea bags and 35 boxes of Jelly Babies.

Pillows and mattress toppers will also be provided by sponsors, Dreams.

‘Making athletes’ dreams come true is our raison d’etre,’ adds England. The pun is not intended, unlike everything else Team GB have put in place for Paris.