Athletics Going on BOA’s Britain’s Olympic Ambition 2012
24 Jul 2008
Today the British Olympic Association (BOA) announced the track and field athletes and coach who will take part in “Britain’s Olympic Ambition 2012” programme (for a full list of all participants please see below):
Athletics Coach Jo Jennings
Athletics Athlete Asha Phillip
Athletics Athlete Hannah England
Athletics Athlete Perri Shakes Drayton
The programme, 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, will see approximately 150 athletes and coaches from 33 disciplines spend seven days in Macau and Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games.
Whilst there, athletes will visit the Team GB preparation camp in Macau, the Olympic Village and the Athletes’ Lodge. In addition participants will be given the opportunity to watch two competition sessions for their specific discipline. The programme will be split into five phases:
Phase 1 5th - 11th August
Phase 2 8th - 14th August
Phase 3 11th - 17th August
Phase 4 14th - 20th August
Phase 5 17th - 23rd August
The phases will be accompanied by a mentor, Olympians like Denise Lewis, Ed Coode and Alison Mowbray.
This programme’s focus is based around providing sports specific event exposure and to replicate, as closely as possible, an athlete’s overall Olympic experience.
Commenting on their involvement:
Asha Phillip said:
“I’m absolutely thrilled that I will be getting to watch the Olympics up close in Beijing. I think that it will be a fantastic experience, and one that will really help me in preparation for 2012 where I hope to be competing.”
Perri Shakes Drayton said:
“Obviously I’m very excited to be selected. It’s going to be great to go back to Beijing – I was there two years ago for the World Junior Athletics Championships and really enjoyed it. It’ll be good to get a taste of what it will be like before I hopefully compete in London 2012.”
Denise Lewis, who will be the mentor for phase 5 which will include the athletics’ coach and athletes, said:
"Britain’s Olympic Ambition Programme is a great opportunity for the athletes and coaches selected to gain first hand experience of how intense the whole process of being part of an Olympic Team really is.
There will be lots to take in and absorb during this special visit but I am certain that what they will take back home with them will only enhance their preparations for London. Enjoy!"
Jo Jennings (athletics coach):
“The three athletes who are part of the programme all have a real chance to be part of Team GB in 2012. The Olympic Games are unlike any other championship and it is a privilege and a great opportunity to go through the whole process, from kitting out to the preparation camp and then the multi-sport environment of the Games themselves. For the British Olympic Association to give us this opportunity is fantastic, especially considering the increased focus and pressure which we will experience with a home Olympics so any sort of advantage is a great thing. I am convinced that this programme will stand the athletes in good stead for 2012.
There will be a British presence in the Bird’s Nest when we go to watch the athletics competitions and for the athletes to be able to support someone in a Team GB vest will be a huge inspiration for the kids.”
Said Simon Clegg, Team GB Chef de Mission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games:
“This programme is unique worldwide and is expected to provide a real competitive edge to the participants. 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.”
The athletes and coaches are:
Archery Coach Margaret Squires
Archery Athlete Thomas Barber
Archery Athlete Edward Spouge
Archery Athlete Sarah Smith
Basketball Coach Simon Turner
Basketball Coach Sergio Lara Bercial
Basketball Athlete Azania Stewart
Basketball Athlete Kristy Lavin
Basketball Athlete Lauren Thomas-Johnson
Weightlifting Coach Fiona Lothian
Weightlifting Athlete Helen Jewell
Weightlifting Athlete Zoe Smith
Weightlifting Athlete Jack Oliver
Handball Coach William Baillie
Handball Athlete Sebsatian Prieto
Handball Athlete Jesper Parker
Handball Coach Melanie Chowns
Handball Athlete Lynn McCafferty
Handball Athlete Laura Innes
Volleyball Coach Andrew Pink
Volleyball Athlete Benjamin Pipes
Volleyball Athlete Joel Banks
Volleyball Coach Maria Bertelli
Volleyball Athlete Grace Carter
Volleyball Athlete Audrey Cooper
Judo Coach David Somerville
Judo Athlete Sally Conway
Judo Athlete Sarah Adlington
Judo Athlete Thomas Reed
Shooting Coach Donald McIntosh
Shooting Athlete Peter Wilson
Shooting Athlete Kenneth Parr
Shooting Athlete Neil Stirton
Canoe Slalom Coach Paul Ratcliffe
Canoe Slalom Athlete Elizabeth Neave
Canoe Slalom Athlete Robert Neave
Canoe Slalom Athlete Mark Proctor
Fencing Coach Maiciej Wojtkowiak
Fencing Athlete Chrystall Nicoll
Fencing Athlete Laurence Halsted
Fencing Athlete Thomas Bennett
Equestrian Eventing Coach Peter Murphy
Equestrian Eventing Athlete Christopher King
Equestrian Eventing Athlete Francis Whittington
Equestrian Eventing Athlete Laura Collett
Badminton Coach Joanne Goode
Badminton Athlete Christopher Adcock
Badminton Athlete Gabrielle White
Badminton Athlete Imogen Bankier
Equestrian Dressage Coach Jane Bartle-Wilson
Equestrian Dressage Athlete Charlotte Dujardin
Equestrian Dressage Athlete Darryl Thickitt
Equestrian Dressage Athlete Sarah Millis
Hockey Coach Andrew Halliday
Hockey Athlete Nicholas Catlin
Hockey Athlete Adamson Harper
Hockey Coach Hilary Rose
Hockey Athlete Susannah Gilbert
Hockey Athlete Samantha Quek
Rowing Coach Richard Boulton
Rowing Athlete George Nash
Rowing Athlete Matthew Rossiter
Rowing Athlete Sarah Cowburn
Swimming Coach Robert Greenwood
Swimming Athlete Marco Loughran
Swimming Athlete Jessica Dickons
Swimming Athlete Anne Bochmann
Swimming Coach Marc Spackman
Table Tennis Coach Jia Yi Liu
Table Tennis Athlete Kelly Sibley
Table Tennis Athlete Joanna Parker
Table Tennis Athlete Paul Drinkhall
Trampoline Coach William Leach
Trampoline Athlete Katherine Driscoll
Trampoline Coach Jay Scouler
Trampoline Athlete Emma Smith
Water Polo Coach Jerome Read
Water Polo Athlete Craig Figes
Water Polo Athlete Thomas Curwen
Water Polo Coach Szilveszter Fekete
Water Polo Athlete Fiona McCann
Water Polo Athlete Francis Leighton
Boxing Coach James Davison
Boxing Athlete Martin Ward
Boxing Athlete Robert Wright
Boxing Athlete Freddie Evans
Diving Coach Edwin Jongejans
Diving Athlete Christopher Mears
Diving Athlete Megan Sylvester
Diving Athlete Katherine Hamilton
Equestrian Show Jumping Coach Christina Goosen
Equestrian Show Jumping Athlete Daniel Neilson
Equestrian Show Jumping Athlete William Whitaker
Equestrian Show Jumping Athlete Charlotte Platt
Gymnastics Artistic Coach Andrei Popov
Gymnastics Artistic Athlete Sam Oldham
Gymnastics Artistic Athlete Daniel Purvis
Gymnastics Artistic Coach Rachel Levick
Gymnastics Artistic Athlete Jennifer Pinches
Gymnastics Artistic Athlete Kathleen Moffat
Sailing Coach Steven Lovegrove
Sailing Athlete Eifion Mon
Sailing Athlete David Evans
Sailing Athlete Frances Peters
Synchronised Swimming Coach Loredana Montico
Synchronised Swimming Athlete Cherrry Wilson
Synchronised Swimming Athlete Asha Randall
Synchronised Swimming Athlete Katrina Dawkins
Synchronised Swimming Athlete Helen Morris
Triathlon Coach John Maitland
Triathlon Athlete Kirsty McWilliam
Triathlon Athlete Jonathan Brownlee
Wrestling Freestyle Coach Shaun Morley
Wrestling Freestyle Athlete Leon Rattigan
Wrestling Freestyle Athlete Phillip Roberts
Wrestling Freestyle Athlete Jatinder Singh Rakhra
Beach Volleyball Coach Matthew Grinlaubs
Beach Volleyball Athlete Lucy Boulton
Beach Volleyball Athlete Denise Johns
Beach Volleyball Coach Steven Grotowski
Beach Volleyball Coach Simon Middlemas
Beach Volleyball Athlete Gregg Weaver
Canoe Flatwater Coach Stephen Harris
Canoe Flatwater Athlete Rachel Cawthorn
Canoe Flatwater Athlete Benjamin Brown
Canoe Flatwater Athlete Jonathan Schofield
Football Coach Maureen Marley
Football Coach Brian Eastick
Football Athlete Gabriella Whelan
Football Athlete Sophie Bradley
Modern Pentathlon Coach Stuart Mason
Modern Pentathlon Athlete Mhairi Spence
Modern Pentathlon Athlete Katy Burke
Modern Pentathlon Athlete James Cook
Swimming Open Water Coach Stewart Clamp
Swimming Open Water Athlete Alice McCall
Swimming Open Water Athlete Charlotte Woolliscroft
Swimming Open Water Athlete Daniel Fogg
Taekwondo Coach Paul Green
Taekwondo Athlete Tyrone Robinson
Taekwondo Athlete Jordon Gayle
Taekwondo Athlete Bianca Walkden
Taekwondo Athlete Louise Mair
Notes to Editors
Team GB is expected to consist of approximately 300 athletes and a further 200 officials. Team GB could be competing in up to 20 sports.
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will take place from 8th to 24th August 2008.
The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its role is to prepare our nation’s finest athletes for and lead them at the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games. The BOA delivers extensive elite level support services to Britain’s Olympic athletes and their National Governing Bodies throughout each Olympic cycle and in the UK is responsible for the development and protection of the Olympic Movement.
For interview requests with athletes or coaches please contact Lauren Sanderson in the BOA Communications Department on 020 88712677 ext 227.