TEACHERS need to be given better training to teach children sport to ensure the legacy of London 2012 is realised, Sir Steve Redgrave says.

The Olympic great told the Free Press that this is an integral part of creating a long and lasting era of sporting success and making sure this summer's spectacle does not fade in the memory.

With the successful London Olympics now over, attention has switched to the much discussed issue of 'legacy'.

Sir Steve believes primary schools are crucial to seeing a sporting legacy materialises.

Teachers need greater support and training so they can help ingrain sport and activities in the lives of children from a young age, he said.

He said: "We need to give our primary school teachers more training in sports and activities. Primary school Teachers have two days of training on their teacher training programme (in sport), two days to inspire the young people they're going to be involved with.

"It seems to me to be very little and out of proportion to the whole process of teacher training."

He said addressing this problem and giving teachers proper sports training "would be a huge impact".

Sir Steve said he is already trying to help improve teachers' knowledge via a scheme with Matalan and the Youth Sports Trust.

The organisations are giving primary school teachers more training to give them a better skill base.

David Cameron has been speaking about introducing more competitive sports into school.

Sir Steve said this was another key area to address.

"The aspect of learn how to win and how to lose is very important," he said.

He said primary school is ideal place to learn and it is about "ingraining activities and sport for the rest of their lives".

He said simply the performance of Team GB, which won 29 gold medals, will inspire people.

"It will leave a huge legacy just from the image of what they've done, especially within women's sport, they've really come of age in some ways."

He hopes more teenage girls will follow sport through to a later age rather than dropping out.

He said the London 2012 games will also leave a legacy physically in terms of infrastructure, facilities and equipment that future generations will be able to use.