Latest news from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ

21 May 2013

Unique partnership to support summer and winter Olympians

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, GB Bobsleigh and British Athletics are delighted to announce the creation a unique partnership to help British athletes win medals in both summer and winter Olympics.

GB Bobsleigh will be basing a small squad of their top performers at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ to benefit from the world class athletics training environment being created here by British Athletics.

Supported by the University, British Athletics and GB Bobsleigh will be training alongside each other in the High Performance Athletics Centre to maximise the power and sprinting capabilities of their respective groups of athletes.

Gary Anderson, Performance Director for GB Bobsleigh said:

“We are looking for every possible advantage for our performers in the run up to the Sochi Winter Olympics. In looking to base ourselves at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ we wanted to benefit from not only the world class training facilities but also the sprint coaching knowledge and expertise embedded in British Athletics. Being here will give us a better chance of being on a podium in Sochi.”

Neil Black, Performance Director of British Athletics said:

“We are delighted to be able to work alongside another NGB that shares our aspiration to see British athletes at the top of the Olympic podium.

“Working collaboratively means we can share best practice about developing power and sprint speed and the training of both sets of athletes can be coordinated easily within the same space with benefits to all.”

Peter Keen, Director of Sport at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ said:

“This is the start of what I believe will be a hugely beneficial partnership where both sports pool knowledge and best practice in their common pursuit of international success.

“Despite the widely differing competition environments the development of explosive sprinting power and technique is key to both sports, and this is reflected in the movement of athletes and coaches from Athletics into Bobsleigh.

“This type of collaboration is only possible where elite sport programmes can co-exist in a dedicated, specialised training environment – something that º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is proud to provide for a number of leading sports.

“But what makes us special within British sport is the value we can add to our sports partners as a result of our science and engineering expertise in a wealth of sport and performance related fields, combined with a sporting culture that pervades campus life. It is why we are committed to becoming the preeminent elite training centre in the UK.”

−ENDS−

Notes for editors

Article reference number: PR 13/88

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year 2008-09 title, and is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in national newspaper league tables. In the 2011 National Student Survey, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ was voted one of the top universities in the UK, and has been voted England's Best Student Experience for six years running in the Times Higher Education league. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been awarded six Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

It is a member of the 1994 Group of 11 leading research-intensive universities. The Group was established in 1994 to promote excellence in university research and teaching. Each member undertakes diverse and high-quality research, while ensuring excellent levels of teaching and student experience.

Contact for all media enquiries

Rob Knott
PR Officer (Sport)
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
T: 01509 228686
E: R.A.Knott@lboro.ac.uk

Additional contact information

Liz Birchall
Head of Marketing and Communications
British Athletics
T: 0121 7138472
E: lbirchall@britishathletics.org.uk

Piers Martin
Chief Operating Officer
GB Bobsleigh
M: 07725 195746