11 August 2009
Today (11 August), Judo Scotland and the sportscotland institute of sport launched its search for judo talent through Gold4Glasgow. This talent initiative was designed by the sportscotland institute of sport, to identify athletes to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in 2014. The judo talent search follows the successful Gold4Glasgow cycling event, which took place in May this year and identified 12 female cyclists with the potential of competing in the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
Judo Scotland and the institute are on the hunt for males and females across the all weight categories, in particular focusing on females to compete in the lightweight (under 52kg) and the heavyweight category (over 79 kg); as well as males for the heavy weight category (over 100kg), however this is not exclusive and individuals of all weights are encouraged to attend.
The first Gold4Glasgow judo event will take place at Ratho, Edinburgh on Sunday 27 September. Following the application process, Scots aged between 17 and 25 will be invited to attend the testing event day where they will be put through rigorous skill acquisition and cardiovascular testing. Those who meet the requirements will then be asked back to a training weekend for further tests.
Graeme Randall, high performance judo manager at the sportscotland institute of sport and Commonwealth Games gold medal winner, said: “We would encourage anyone who thinks they have what it takes to be a successful judo player to apply, whether they are already playing a sport, for example rugby, gymnastics or a martial art expert already, or are a complete novice.
“We are looking for individuals who are driven, focused and are quick to learn. Our hope is that these candidates will add value to the current judo programme and work alongside some of the existing athletes. We feel Scotland has a great chance of picking up medals in judo in 2014 and are in the process of strengthening the judo team to ensure the athletes selected, coupled with our existing athletes, receive the best possible support over the coming years.”
Tony Stanger, talent manager at the sportscotland institute of sport added: “We are delighted to now be recruiting for judo in our Gold4Glasgow campaign, following on from the successful cycling event held earlier in the year. This is a really exciting time for us, unearthing young talent which we could potentially see competing on the World stage in five years time.”
Gold4Glasgow aims to fast-track entry and development of more Scottish athletes into existing Scottish programmes to achieve medal success in 2014, and, where possible, work with the UK World Class Talent Team to identify exceptionally talented individuals who may have the potential to join Olympic development programmes. Set up to complement existing talent pathways, the programme aims to use innovative methods to uncover potential competitors.
For more information about Gold4Glasgow, the application form and the event on 27 September, visit www.gold4glasgow.com.
Gold4Glasgow talent identification events
- A series of assessment events will be held for specific sports to attract potential athletes to these events
- These sports are currently being identified with a range of criteria being taken into account such as the number of Commonwealth Games medals available in each event – clear medal opportunities
- Through rigorous testing and training camps those individuals will be put through their paces with the aim of identifying a select few who will work with Scotland’s top coaches and experts in a bid to have them represent Scotland and win medals
sportscotland institute of sport
- The institute of sport is the high performance arm of sportscotland – this better represents the one organisation approach being taken by sportscotland in the best interests of Scottish sport
- At the sportscotland institute of sport the clear focus is on preparing Scotland's best athletes to perform on the world stage. The institute provides high performance expertise to sport and athletes in Scotland
- The institute is working with its partners to build greater success for Scottish sport. Its vision is Scotland consistently winning on the world stage
- Teams of expert coaches and practitioners work together to manage and deliver cutting edge programmes in high performance management, performance coaching, programme planning, sports medicine, sports science, strength and conditioning, performance analysis and career and lifestyle guidance
- The institute places performance at the centre of its thinking; teams of coaches and experts work to provide individually tailored programmes for athletes and sports. The Institute continuously endeavors to find new and innovative ways of improving performance and are open to new challenges and fresh ideas that enable world class performance
- The institute’s high performance network partners include - Area Institutes of Sport, National Governing Body’s for Sport including Scottish Cycling, Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, UK Sport and its UK World Class Talent Team, British Olympic Association & the British Paralympic Association
- Successful athletes supported by the institute includes Chris Hoy, Andy Murray, Katherine Grainger and Hannah Miley