While the whole country is gearing up for the 2012 Olympic Games, excitement is already approaching fever pitch in the London Borough of Newham.

Aside from West Ham United, the area's most-famous sporting club is surely the Newham and Essex Beagles Athletics Club.

Based at the Terence McMillan Stadium in East Ham, the Beagles have trained a succession of top-class athletes, including 1984 Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson, European 400m champion Iwan Thomas and even West Ham defender Rio Ferdinand.

Current Beagles include reigning Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, European 5,000m and 10,000m champion Mo Farah and coach and former Olympic hammer thrower Paul Head.

Head, who finished 22^nd in Barcelona in 1992, recently visited the Boleyn Ground as part of a Beagles delegation to test the pitch ahead of West Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium in 2014.

"It's a hugely exciting time for us. I'm just a bit upset that my son Tom is too young and he won't be around at the right time, but obviously the Olympics is in my back yard. My Mum still lives in Forest Gate, so we're all looking forward to it.

"Christine and Mo should be competing and I'm sure there will be a few others hoping to get in there, as well. We've got a couple of hurdlers and obviously we hope that Amir can pull his finger out and grab one of the places that is up for grabs.

"There is a buzz and obviously it's all going on around us. The Olympics can only be of benefit to the Borough and the people who live in it."

Now 46, Head won silver and bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games, while also setting the longest-ever hammer throw at a major championship of 72.68m.

"For my sins, I still hold the record for the longest throw by a Briton at a major championship. That was at the European Championship a long time ago in 1991!

"I think I was unfortunate because even though I competed in Barcelona, I never made it to the opening ceremony to soak up the atmosphere.

"We are fortunate next year in athletics in that we start five days after the opening ceremony. Some of the sports start on the day and go straight into it, so they don't get the opportunity to soak it all in and the hype can get to them.

"If you can have that opportunity to take it all in and then feed on it, it gets better and better as it goes on, to be honest."

Looking forward, Head believes the relationship between West Ham and UK Athletics in jointly using the Olympic Stadium will be positive for both parties.

"I think it's great that we're involved with a professional outfit looking after that stadium and giving us the opportunity to throw in that arena not just at the Olympics, but afterwards.

"Hopefully it will be there for a long, long time."