BOA Announce Team GB Short Track Speed Skaters for Vancouver 2010
Embargoed until 12:00 on Thursday 7th January 2010
BOA Announce Team GB Short Track Speed Skaters for Vancouver 2010
Team GB will be sending seven short track speed skating athletes to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games in February.
The Team GB short track speed skating athletes in Vancouver will be:
Men: Jon Eley, Anthony Douglas, Paul Worth, Jack Whelbourne, Tom Iveson.
Women: Sarah Lindsay, Elise Christie.
This is a significant improvement from the Turin 2006 Olympic Winter Games, when four short track speed skaters qualified to represent Team GB.
Andy Hunt, Team GB Chef de Mission said:
“My congratulations go out to all the athletes selected to represent Team GB in Vancouver. It is particularly pleasing to see that we have qualified the largest number of short track speed skating athletes since the discipline was first included in the Olympic Programme in Albertville 1992, when we also qualified seven athletes. This is testament to the strength in depth that has been developed in GB short track speed skating in recent years.
“I’m very confident that the athletes we’ve selected will strive to give their absolute best for Team GB and push themselves to the limit in the quest for Olympic success. The British Olympic Association will do absolutely everything we can to ensure these athletes – and all of the members of Team GB – can reach their full potential at the Vancouver Games.”
Commenting on their selection:
Double Team GB Olympian, Jon Eley said:
“It’s a brilliant feeling and a great honour for me to be selected to represent Team GB. I’ve never made any secret of the fact that, in my mind, taking part in the Olympic Winter Games is the greatest challenge in our sport. I’ve remembered a lot of lessons from competing in Turin nearly four years ago and I’m looking forward to improving on the fifth place I earned out there. I’m very much looking forward to being in Vancouver - being an Olympian is an extremely special feeling.”
Triple Team GB Olympian, Sarah Lindsay said:
“This is what makes it all worthwhile. The hard work, the injuries, the long hours training – they’re all worth it when you come to be selected to represent your country. It will be a special feeling for me to pull on the colours of Team GB. It’s inspirational.”
GB Short Track Speed Skating Performance Director, Stuart Horsepool said:
“The team have put in a huge amount of effort since Turin 2006 to maintain standards, and to bring forward and improve on the pool of talent we already had. The young skaters have got better and the experienced skaters have pushed themselves harder than ever. We’ve got a group of athletes who can deliver strong performances, and we’re doing everything to ensure they all truly fulfil their potential on the biggest stage of all at the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.”
Notes to Editors:
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games take place from 12-28 February in Vancouver and Whistler in Canada. Today, there are 36 days until the Opening Ceremony.
The seven sports on the Olympic programme for 2010 are: biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing. The 15 disciplines are: biathlon, bobsleigh, skeleton, curling, ice hockey, luge, figure skating, short track speed skating, speed skating, Alpine skiing, cross country skiing, freestyle skiing, Nordic combined, ski jumping, snowboard.
For the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter games Team GB is likely to consist of approximately 50 athletes across six sports (biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, luge, skating and skiing) and 11 disciplines (biathlon, bobsleigh, skeleton, curling, luge, figure skating, short track speed skating, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboard).
Currently Team GB has selected 24 athletes in 3 sport disciplines, listed here. The remaining athletes to be selected to Team GB for Vancouver 2010 will be announced on 26th January 2010 in London.
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 more information, or for interview requests, please contact Adam Parsons in the BOA Communications Team on adam.parsons@boa.org.uk / 020 7842 5722 / 07740 818549