Scotland leads the way with UK's first Institute athletes
Monday 11 October 1999
The Scottish Institute of Sport continued setting the UK pace with the announcement today of the first athletes to benefit from the new Sports Institute network.
The 20 names from athletics represent the cream of Scotland’s track and field athletes including Olympians Liz McColgan, Ian Mackie and Allison Curbishley and Paralympians, Stephen Payton and Karen Lewis. Also announced were those set to become the household names of the future including Sinead Dudgeon and Chris Baillie.
They are the first of around 200 top Scottish sportsmen and women from a range of sports to be announced over the forthcoming months.
The Scottish Institute of Sport has been established to ensure that a comprehensive programme of world-leading technical, scientific and personal support is available to our top performers regardless of whether they are based in Scotland, the UK, or travelling the globe for world class competition.
Programmes will be developed on an individual basis and will include: coaching; sports science; preventative and reactive medical treatment; warm weather, indoor and altitude training; expert conditioning advice; and career and education guidance.
Executive Director of the Scottish Institute of Sport, Anne Marie Harrison, comments, ’The Scottish public want to see success and through the Scottish Institute we are now set up to deliver this.
’In less than a year we’ve appointed the key development staff and set up and piloted the programme of support services the athletes will be able to access.
’Our vision, and the potential offered by Scotland, has attracted a world class team of coaches from as far afield as Australia, South Africa and the USA.
’Since being appointed they have been liaising with their respective sports to put together the Institute athletes with whom they’ll be working.
’Today marks the beginning of a significant phase in the development of sport in Scotland where over time the phrase ‘Scottish Institute of Sport Athlete’ will become synonymous with success.’
Meg Stone, the Institute’s recently appointed National High Performance Coach for Athletics, adds, ’The Scottish Institute will make the critical difference.
’The programmes of support that will be put in place for these Scottish Institute of Sport Athletes will build on what is already available through the Scottish Athletics Federation, UK Athletics and sportscotland lottery fund’s Talented Athlete Programme.
’If gaps are identified, the Institute will look to assist as well as ensuring the athletes are making the best use of opportunities already in place.
’My role is to ensure that all the athlete’s needs are met and I look forward to working closely with the individuals and their personal coaches who have played such a major role in their success to date.’
David Joy, Chief Executive of the Scottish Athletics Federation, said, ’Today is a very exciting day for Scottish Athletics, and for the athletes selected to be part of the Institute programme. International success is important to our sport, and I am delighted that at last there is a level of investment being made which will give our best performers the chance to be successful outside the UK.
’The importance of this programme also goes beyond those announced today as it will provide an inspiration to all our talented juniors to aspire to become the Institute Athletes of the future.’
Deputy Minister for Sport and Culture, Rhona Brankin, adds, ’This announcement provides another sign that the developing Scottish Institute of Sport is putting the necessary mechanisms in place to ensure more winning performances and role models for a future generation of talented athletes.’
Roger Moreland, UKSI Director at UK Sport, said, ’The Scottish Institute of Sport is an integral part of the UK Sports Institute and I am delighted to welcome the announcement of the first athletes to benefit from its support. Scotland has led the way in the development of their component of the UKSI network. I now look forward to seeing more Scottish athletes winning on the world stage whether competing for Scotland or Great Britain.’
ADDITONAL INFORMATION
Full list of the 20 athletes, with biographies.
Five full-time national coaches have so far been appointed for core Institute sports with rugby and football to follow. In addition to Meg Stone in athletics, they are: six times US national swimming coach, Chris Martin; junior and senior world championship-winning curling coach, Mike Hay; former Commonwealth badminton gold medallist, Dan Travers, and Head Coach of the Women’s Hockey Programme at the Western Australian Institute of Sport, Steve Colledge.
In addition, South African, Dave Clark, former national Fitness Coach with the Welsh Rugby Union and Biokineticist to the South African National Rugby Team in the build up to the 1995 World Cup, has been appointed National Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Institute with responsibility for advising all Institute athletes and coaches.
The seven core sports in the initial phase of the Institute are: Athletics, Badminton, Curling, Football, Hockey, Rugby and Swimming. In addition, the very top Scots performers from other sports as diverse as Judo, Fencing, Canoeing and Squash have been identified and invited to be part of the Institute and its programmes.
The Scottish Institute of Sport will be one of UK-wide network of centres linked to United Kingdom Sports Institute HQ ensuring Scottish athletes have access to the very best support wherever they are based.
sportscotland Lottery Fund has earmarked £20 million of support (£8 million capital and £12 million revenue) for the establishment and operation of the Scottish Institute of Sport over the next four years.
The Board of the Scottish Institute of Sport is chaired by Alistair Gray and comprises: Craig Brown; Ian McGeechan; Frank Dick; Peter Haining; Alison Ramsay; Ray MacFarlane; Bill Gammell; Alastair Dempster and Jim Calder.