Performance Programme News
2012 Ambition Programme Launchposted by Stuart Mason on05-07-2008
Yesterday the British Olympic Association (BOA) announced the athletes and coaches invited to take part in "Britain's Olympic Ambition 2012 programme. The full story can be seen here.
For Modern Pentathlon the members will be:
- Mhairi Spence - athlete
- Katy Burke - athletes
- Jamie Cooke - athlete
- Stuart Mason - manager
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 athletes 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. 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.
This programmes focus is based around providing sports specific event exposure and to replicate, as closely as possible, an athletes overall Olympic experience.
Yesterday they were part of around 800 individuals (athletes, support staff, VIPS) visiting the NEC in Birmingham to pick up their kit over the next few weeks with each of the competing athletes collecting around 97 items of clothing and accessories including:
- Adidas leisure and competition wear
- Suitcase
- Formal Suit and Parade Wear
- Panasonic Camcorder
- Team GB Mascot
The 2012 Ambition Programme Team got specific kit designed for that programme (minus the goodies listed above!)
Each of the 2012 Ambition Programme Team were assisted through the kitting out process by one of 40 personal shoppers who are either a student volunteer from the nearby Birmingham University or sourced through Birmingham City Councils sport volunteers programme.
Tailors and seamstresses are also located in-house to ensure that each item fits to their individual needs with each athletes visit being recorded by BOA Official Photographer Getty Images.
Several Team GB athletes were involved in the design of both the Team GB kit and also the kitting out process through their feedback via the British Athletes Commission including Team GB rower Sarah Winckless: I was honoured when I was asked by the BOA to give an athletes view into the design process of the kit for Beijing and I really believe that the kit this year is the best Olympic athletes have ever been given.
The Modern Pentathlon team members yesterday were really impressed with the experience during the kitting out process when they collected there kit and really brings home that the Olympics are just over a month away.
Simon Clegg, Team GB Chef de Mission said: The British Olympic Association want to provide a first class experience for Team GB athletes as they proudly receive their British kit ahead of this summers Olympic Games in Beijing. Providing every athlete and support staff member with such an array of clothing and accessories has been a huge logistical undertaking for the BOA.
We are delighted that the NEC in Birmingham have been able to centrally host this operation allowing for every member of Team GB to conveniently travel to and from this occasion.
Great Newsposted by Anthony Temple on02-07-2008
News that we will have a full complement of four athletes competing in Beijing is a tribute to the athletes and to the performance team. On behalf of the Board and the Association generally it is time to congratulate them, and to look forward to Beijing. They travel with our collective best wishes and total support.
Anthony Temple
Chairman
World Championships Photosposted by John Woodbridge on10-06-2008
There are some great shots on the Gallery of the Senior World Championships which took placein Budapest last week.
We are indebeted to Phil Searle fo Digitalscape Ltd for travelling to Budapest and capturing these moments for us.
Youth A Rankings and Team Selectionposted by John Woodbridge on10-06-2008
The 2008 Youth A ranking lists for boys and girlshave now been published and can be found on the Performance -> Athletes -> Rankings page.
Teams selections for the Youth A European Championships in Sweden have now been made and the announcement can be found here.
Budapest WRCH Ladies Finalposted by Jan Bartu on01-06-2008
Sam Weale made a big step towards the 2008 OG qualification by qualifying for the Sundays' Men"s Finals. I have got impression from Sams reaction right after the semi-finals that he was a little bit surprised it did not take all his efforts to achieve this goal. It was a very different story yesterday. Girls were under serious pressure not just from the opposition but also pressure resulting from the GB Olympic Team selection coming up. I have also noticed strange tensions surrounding the World Championships. Usually unified Pentathlon family has been showing signs of polarisation over an issue which seems to have vital importance for the future of our sport. Let us hope that internationally based constructive dialog is going to take place soon, questions will be answered and we approach the upcoming four year Olympic Cycle 2012 with clear understanding where we are heading.
All British girls experienced rough patches in the shooting event. Georgina has been affected the most but Mhairi and Katy struggled too, no wonder. Heather kicked off the fencing phase in a big style but unfortunately unable to follow through to the end. It was pleasure to watch Katy fencing aggressively once again - reminiscence of the last year World Cup Finals in Beijing. After the jumping test we expected riding discipline to be very demanding. Course has been laid out with tricky corners and horses not always looking too keen. I must admit that ladies across the teams have done good job yesterday surely pleasing TV audience following the Championship in live coverage. All four Brits rode up to the highest standard recovering from shaky beginning of the competition. Katy teamed up running with Medany from Egypt in pursuit of Struchkova from Russia to fight for Silver and Bronze. Caze, last year World Champion, kept the rest of the field in distance winning the Title back to back following in the footsteps of her countryman Sebastien Deleigne. It was great day for Katy finishing on the podium winning her first Individual World Championship medal. Heather, Mhairi and Georgina deserve the Team Silver after long-day fight back from the 5th position after the shooting discipline.
We have witnessed heartbreaking drama when Georginas calf gave up halfway through the running race leaving her in excruciating pain. She managed to get to 200m to the finish unable to continue. I could barely watch Georgina limping in tears remaining distance finally collapsing in to hands of David and Paul (D. Annett - team osteopath and P. Jackson team physician). Emotions were riding high tonight calling for the party dont hang up!
Office Closureposted by John Woodbridge on29-05-2008
Please note that the HQ office will be closed until 6th June while staff are at the World Championships. In an emergency only, please call .
Selection Policy - Amendmentposted by John Woodbridge on26-05-2008
A minor amendment has been made to section 11.1 of the Selection Policy which deals with Youth A World Championship.
The amendment can be viewed and downloaded from the downloads section of this site.
Ranking Listsposted by John Woodbridge on14-05-2008
The second ranking list for 2008 has been published and can be found here.
World Cup 5, Kladno, Czech Republicposted by John Woodbridge on10-05-2008
Excellent coverage of the 5th World Cup event of the year can be found on the UIPM website.
World Cup - Kladno Czech Republicposted by Peter Hart on08-05-2008
Ladies Qualifier
All four Ladies through safely for Saturday's final
Heather Fell 12th and Katy Livingston 18th in Semi Final A
Mhairi Spence 6th and Georgina harland 10th in Semi Final B
Full results are on UIPM Website www.pentathlon.org
Watch the men tomorrow live via the UIPM website
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