From the British Olympic Association
On the eve of Britain’s team for the European Youth Winter Olympic Festival leaving for Poland, the British Olympic Association announced that Calgary has been chosen as the location for Team GB’s Preparation Camp prior to the Vancouver Games which begin in one year’s time.
Athletes from all the sports* that Team GB is likely to qualify in will be preparing for the Winter Olympics in Calgary.
The decision follows a review of potential locations and a comprehensive consultation process with the winter sport Team Leaders. The decision to host the Team GB preparation camp in Calgary was based on the following:
• Quality and proximity of sports venues;
• Caters for all winter Olympic sport training;
• International airport with hourly flights to Vancouver;
• Flight time to Vancouver 1 hour & no immigration at Vancouver airport as domestic flight;
• Infrastructure to handle all Team GB requirements such as health care/hospitals, accommodation, comprehensive transport network, facilities for leisure and recreation;
• Only +1 hour time change from Vancouver; and
• Tried and proven by Team GB – Calgary was the Preparation Camp prior to the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Andy Hunt, BOA Chief Executive, said:
“In Calgary we can profit from the great venues and facilitates used during the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games. Team GB’s preparation camp prior to the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics was also in Calgary, so we know the area well. We are confident that it can deliver what we need to allow Team GB to go into the Games as the best prepared team possible.“We have had some fantastic results from several of our winter sport athletes in 2008 and our statistics show that if the Games had been last year, Team GB would have moved from 21st position in the medal table in Turin to 12th in 2008.
“In the last couple of months alone we have seen Shelly Rudman, Amy Williams and Kristan Bromley taking medals in World and European Bob Skeleton Championships and Cups, Nicola Minichiello and her team secure a range of medals in World and European Bobsleigh Cups, Jon Eley winning silver in the 500m Short Track Speed Skating World Cup, snowboarder Zoe Gillings grabbing a World Cup bronze and the Kerr siblings take bronze in the European Figure Skating Champs – all this is very exciting with Vancouver just one year away.â€
Leo Addington, Snowboard Team Leader, said:
“I have been to and used almost all the venues which will host the Team GB Preparation Camp in 2010 and they are great. The facilities are all world class and up to World Cup standard with many improvements having been made since the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics. Being so close to Vancouver and Whistler makes transition for time zone and jet lag very easy: there are no borders to cross, it is only a one hour flight and there is only a one hour time difference to Vancouver. Because the facilities are North American built, they have North American attributes, which might be different to training at a European facility – so good preparation for what we can expect to find at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.â€
Silver medallist at the 2008 Curling World Championships, Dave Murdoch, commented on the decision:
“Our team was in Calgary in November last year and the facilities there are truly fantastic. We are focused and ready for the games in 2010 in Vancouver. The curling team will be at the camp in Calgary for a couple of weeks prior to the Games and it really is a superb location.”
Notes to Editors
*Team GB is likely to consist of approximately 50 athletes across 6 sports (Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Curling, Luge, Skating and Skiing).
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics take place from 12-28 February in Vancouver and Whistler in Canada.
A detailed media schedule for Calgary will be made available in due course.
No Games accreditation is needed to access the BOA preparation camp although the BOA will be putting in place its own accreditation procedure.
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 further information please contact BOA Head of Media Miriam Wilkens on 020 8871 2677 ext. 227 or 07768775762 or Miriam.wilkens@boa.org.uk.