Record-breaking Paralympic Gold Medallist and wheelchair athlete, David Weir, will have his extraordinary achievements formally recognised in his home Borough of Sutton when the Borough’s premier leisure and athletics centre is renamed in his honour on 16 May.

The Paralympian, who added four Gold Medals at London 2012 to the two he won in Beijing four years earlier, and has also won six London Marathons, said he was “absolutely delighted” by the decision to rename the Sutton Arena as the David Weir Leisure Centre.

The Sutton Arena Leisure Centre in St Helier, which boasts an extensive range of facilities for everyone from elite athletes to those just trying to keep fit, has been at the heart of sport in the Borough since it first opened as a simple cinder track in 1953.

David said: “I am absolutely delighted. It is a very great honour. I have trained there and taken part in a few events there and it’s an excellent facility.”

The Paralympic hero added: “My daughter goes to the leisure centre with her school and it will be very exciting for her to see my name over the door.”

Richard says “I was there last summer when he won the 400 metres at the Olympic stadium. The date of 6 September 2012 is burned on my memory. The excitement as he came round that last bend was amazing.” 

Following the formal renaming ceremony David will thrill local youngsters by officially starting some competitions and handing medals to winners.

It is not the first time the athlete, who grew up in the South London Borough and has lived here all his life, has been honoured by his local authority. In 2009 a few months after returning from Beijing he was made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough, the first person in 30 years to receive the recognition.

The centre, then named Carshalton Sports Arena, was first used in 1953, when it had a 440 yard cinder track. The facilities developed over the years and when the centre was significantly refurbished it was renamed Sutton Arena Leisure Centre.

Now, in addition to the state-of-the-art facilities for elite athletes and seating for 300 spectators, it also has a broad range of events, training and equipment to appeal to local users of all ages and abilities.