Australia and Britain sign Olympic agreement

SYDNEY, Jan 15 (Reuters) Australian and British Olympic officials have signed a deal which they hope will result in more gold medals for both countries at the 2012 London Games.

Under the agreement, Australian athletes will be invited to live, train and compete in Olympic test events held in London before the 2012 Games.

In return, British athletes will be invited to compete in international events in Australia, including the 2009 and 2011 Australian Youth Olympics.

The two countries will exchange information on the best way to prepare athletes for the Olympics and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) will provide information to the British Olympic Association (BOA) in organising the Games.

''Being able to live, train and compete in London prior to 2012 will be an enormous benefit to our athletes,'' AOC President John Coates said in a statement after signing the Co-operation Agreement today.

BOA chief executive Simon Clegg told reporters countries needed to form alliances to have any chance of stopping China from winning everything.

China finished second on the medals table at the last Olympics in Athens but are expected to finish way ahead in Beijing next year.

''In sporting terms, actually, we're all at war against China,'' Clegg told reporters.

''We're seeing the emergence of a sporting superstate and it's quite frightening for all the other nations in terms of their preparations and expectations for the 2008 Games.'' REUTERS PDS KP1138