UK Sport to search Army ranks for Olympic medal hopefuls
UK Sport, the British Army and the English Institute of Sport (EIS) have launched a new talent partnership programme aimed at identifying future Olympic medallists from within the ranks of military personnel.
The £1.4m Army Elite Sports Programme (AESP) will reach out into the garrisons and units to identify men and women in targeted sporting disciplines who possess the potential to go all the way to the podium in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and beyond.
Talent scientists from the EIS will run assessments in the garrison towns nationwide and further afield in Germany and Cyprus. They will identify potential individuals who can be fast-tracked in to sports’ World Class Programmes.
The AESP will then ensure the selected athletes' military careers can develop in harmony with the demands of the training programmes and competition commitments.
There is a long history of military personnel becoming successful Olympians.
Double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes spent nine years in the army and served as a sergeant on the Adjutant General Corps, while Royal Artillery captain and rower Heather Stanning was the first Team GB athlete to win gold at London 2012.
Rod Carr, Chair of UK Sport, said: "The British Army has a rich tradition of supporting athletes and our experience tells us there will be personnel out there with the potential to be Olympic medallists but up until now they may not have had the opportunity to connect with the right sport or have the necessary support network to succeed.
"This initiative will provide them with a wonderful opportunity to access the world class support services which allow them to reach their full athletic potential."
It is thought that launching AESP six years ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will allow the time required to nurture and develop an Olympic hopeful into a medal contender.
The initiative is being part-funded by payments the British Army received for providing some of the security at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Tom Walker exploresthe storybehind TottenhamHotspur’sgroundbreakingnew footballstadium
How Portugal’s biggest brewer enlisted the help of one of the country’s best known architects to turn two historic nature parks into thermal spa and nature destinations
Three years after Pegasus Capital bought Six Senses, how close is the private equity firm to realising its goals for its first spa and hospitality investment? Pegasus’ founder Craig Cogut tells us what’s been achieved and what comes next