12/03/2012

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:00:20. > :00:25.We're live, it's just after 5:00pm on Monday afternoon and you're with

:00:25. > :00:30.Nel and Ore. Stick around with us on Newsround, cos we have a jam-

:00:30. > :00:36.packed show on the way. Coming up: I've been in Glasgow reclaiming the

:00:36. > :00:39.streets for play. And Lady Gaga's looking a bit woof.

:00:39. > :00:45.First, preparations for the London Olympics couldn't be going better

:00:45. > :00:47.for the British athletics squad. Over the weekend, they won nine

:00:47. > :00:54.medals at the World Indoor Athletics Championships, their

:00:54. > :00:56.biggest ever haul. But not everyone was happy. That's because

:00:56. > :00:59.representing the team were athletes who some people don't think really

:00:59. > :01:04.are British. Take, for example, the captain, Tiffany Porter, who was

:01:04. > :01:10.born and has spent most of her life living in the US. So what does it

:01:10. > :01:13.mean to be a British athlete? Winning a gold medal for your

:01:13. > :01:21.country at the Olympic Games is the biggest thing an athlete can

:01:21. > :01:23.achieve. And we're hoping for a lot of GB medals this summer. But what

:01:23. > :01:26.if the country the athletes are representing isn't actually where

:01:26. > :01:29.they're originally from, where they live or even train? Over the

:01:29. > :01:31.weekend, Yamile Aldama won gold for Britain in the triple jump at the

:01:32. > :01:36.World Indoor Athletics Championships. But she's originally

:01:36. > :01:42.from Cuba and has already competed for two countries - Cuba and Sudan.

:01:42. > :01:45.And she wasn't alone. In the GB squad, there were another three

:01:45. > :01:48.athletes who were born in America, one from Anguilla and another from

:01:48. > :01:51.Somalia. Even the team's captain, Tiffany Porter, has moved to the UK

:01:51. > :01:55.in the last two years. She represented the United States as a

:01:55. > :01:59.junior athlete, but since switched to Team GB because her mum is from

:01:59. > :02:02.London. It's because athletes can qualify to represent a country if

:02:02. > :02:12.they've lived there for a certain amount of time or have a parent

:02:12. > :02:16.

:02:16. > :02:19.born in that country. And it This weekend, Manu Tuilagi scored

:02:19. > :02:23.for England's rugby team against France in the Six Nnations - he was

:02:23. > :02:27.born in Samoa but moved to the UK when he was 13. And Kevin Pietersen

:02:27. > :02:30.- one of the best cricketers in the world - spent most of his life in

:02:30. > :02:40.South Africa, but with an English mum, is one of England's star

:02:40. > :02:44.

:02:44. > :02:46.batsmen. If they're good enough and they want to compete for Team GB,

:02:46. > :02:51.does it really matter where they're from?

:02:51. > :02:53.And it's a question that's got you guys talking over on the website.

:02:53. > :03:03.Solomon from West Yorkshire says just because they come from another

:03:03. > :03:10.

:03:10. > :03:14.country, doesn't mean they can't We're joined now by Diane Modahl,

:03:14. > :03:22.who competed at four Olympic Games for Great Britain in the 800 metres.

:03:22. > :03:26.She's also a former Commonwealth champion. Thank you for coming in

:03:26. > :03:29.to talk to us. Do you understand why people are upset about athletes

:03:29. > :03:32.coming into the Olympic team who don't seem to have much connection

:03:32. > :03:36.with the UK? I can't understand that argument at all. From my point

:03:37. > :03:40.of view, and the athletes and coaches I have been speaking to,

:03:40. > :03:45.they are telling me that providing an athlete has fulfilled the

:03:45. > :03:52.eligibility criteria, there is no reason why they shouldn't pull on a

:03:52. > :03:55.national fest and compete. Most people seem to be happy with Mo

:03:55. > :03:59.Farah competing, even though he was born in Somalia, because he's spent

:03:59. > :04:01.most of his life here, but Tiffany just has a British parent - should

:04:01. > :04:04.the qualifying rules be changed? don't think they do need to change.

:04:05. > :04:08.There is nothing plastic or fake about pulling on a national vest

:04:08. > :04:13.and competing for your country. From the athletes point of view,

:04:13. > :04:18.you work hard, you commit your career to being the best you can be

:04:18. > :04:21.and that is the most important thing. You have pulled on that

:04:21. > :04:25.first four times at the Olympic Games, you know what it means to

:04:25. > :04:31.have that national pride. Is that the most important thing, or are

:04:31. > :04:35.there other things? I think it is the most important thing. When you

:04:35. > :04:39.stand on the start line, you are there to represent your country and

:04:39. > :04:44.be the best that you can be. Of course, if you have won and you are

:04:44. > :04:48.on the lap of honour, that is the fun part. From the athletes' point

:04:48. > :04:55.of view, they will be focused on trying to get on that number one

:04:55. > :05:05.spot, standing on that rostrum. Thank you for coming in, 137 days

:05:05. > :05:12.

:05:12. > :05:15.to the Games, are you excited? Extremely excited! Can't wait!

:05:15. > :05:18.Speaking of gaming, that's one reason why a lot of kids are being

:05:18. > :05:21.told they're not playing outdoors enough anymore. But for many others,

:05:21. > :05:24.it's because their parents simply don't think it's safe for them

:05:24. > :05:27.outside. That's been a real problem in parts of Glasgow until recently.

:05:27. > :05:30.Now, volunteers and a charity called PEEK are giving kids in the

:05:30. > :05:33.East End the chance to reclaim their streets. I went along to get

:05:33. > :05:36.the lowdown. This is Barrow field in the East End of Glasgow, one of

:05:36. > :05:38.the most deprived areas in Scotland, their history of violence and high

:05:38. > :05:41.levels of crime. Two years ago, things were so bad, half of parents

:05:41. > :05:44.would not allow their kids outside to play unsupervised, and one in

:05:44. > :05:47.five would not let them out at all. Now that has changed. It is down to

:05:47. > :05:50.a project run by a charity called PEEK, who want kids to go back on

:05:50. > :05:55.the streets and reclaim them for play. The charity decided to use

:05:55. > :05:59.young adults in the area to act as play Rangers, to supervise play

:05:59. > :06:05.sessions, allowing youngsters to run around and enjoy themselves

:06:05. > :06:09.safely. These kids are not complaining. I like it when they

:06:09. > :06:13.are here, but not when they are not here because it is not safe to play

:06:13. > :06:18.outside. I like playing outside because it is healthy and I can

:06:18. > :06:22.play football and tennis. I feel safe when PEEK is here because they

:06:22. > :06:27.look after you. Michaela is a play Ranger who grew up in the area and

:06:27. > :06:30.understands how important it is that kids get to play outside.

:06:30. > :06:36.learn from ships and social skills, their health and fitness has

:06:36. > :06:41.increased. Their mental health and role being has increased. -- well-

:06:41. > :06:46.being. They are making friends and it is fun, which is important.

:06:46. > :06:51.charity provides three -- free play activities for over 300 children in

:06:51. > :06:54.one week. The sessions run in a different sides across Glasgow.

:06:54. > :06:58.These did say that since the play sessions started, they feel a lot

:06:58. > :07:02.more confident and are getting fitter. The local residents love it

:07:02. > :07:06.because they say it is nice to see kids back out on the streets. They

:07:06. > :07:09.are certainly enjoying themselves. Finally, to the pooch that's more

:07:10. > :07:13.Gaga than woof woof. Elizabeth the Lhasa Apso has won Best in Show at

:07:13. > :07:16.the one of the world's biggest dog shows, Crufts. The 7-year-old from

:07:16. > :07:25.Coventry beat 21,000 other dogs, but we reckon she's stolen Lady