Information on Loughborough

Loughborough University Sports Scholars invited onto British Olympic programme

Posted on 08/07/2008

olympics

Three Loughborough University sports scholars are to be given a invaluable insight into the Olympic Games in Beijing as part of Britain’s Olympic Ambition 2012 programme.

Swimmer Daniel Fogg, hockey player Adam Harper and slalom canoeist Elizabeth Neave are amongst the country’s most promising young athletes invited onto the British Olympic Association (BOA) programme. Olympic Ambition 2012 is designed to enhance athlete medal success at the London 2012 Olympic Games by providing talented potential team members with an opportunity to experience the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The trio are amongst athletes from 33 Olympic disciplines set to spend seven days in Macau and Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games, where they will visit the Team GB preparation camp, the Olympic Village and the Athletes’ Lodge. They will also have a press conference fronted by their mentors; Olympians like Denise Lewis, Ed Coode and Alison Mowbray. In addition participants will be given the opportunity to watch two competition sessions for their specific discipline.

The programme’s focus is based around providing sports specific event exposure and to replicate, as closely as possible, an athlete’s overall Olympic experience.

Team GB Chef de Mission for the Beijing Games Simon Clegg believes Olympic experience is a key ingredient to achieving success at the Games.

“This programme is unique worldwide and is expected to provide a real competitive edge to the participants,” he said. “With the BOA’s aspirational target to finish fourth in the overall medal table in 2012, and research showing that a significantly high percentage of medallists at any Olympic Games have attended previous Olympic Games, this experience can form a vital part of the athletes preparation for Olympic success”.