UK Sport

1500 days to go, and it could still be you

Pendleton and Rudman with 2012 hopeful canoeists Victoria Towers and Angela Hannah
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Jessica Whitehorn 19 June 2008

With 1500 days to go until the start of the 2012 Olympic Games passing this week, there is still time to sign up for UK Sport’s talent identification initiative, Girls4Gold, and make the podium in London.

Girls4Gold is a nationwide appeal by UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport (EIS) for female athletes between 17 and 25 years old to try out for the sports of cycling, sailing, canoeing, rowing, modern pentathlon and bob skeleton. Those with potential will have their talent nurtured in a world class training environment, with the aim of making the podium in 2012, 2014 and beyond.

Since the scheme was launched last week in Manchester by Girls4Gold ambassadors Victoria Pendleton and Shelley Rudman, the applications have been flooding in from Olympic hopefuls all over the country.

This week, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) has shown support for Girls4Gold. John Derbyshire, RYA Performance Director/Racing Manager said:

“Girls4Gold is a very worthy initiative that gives sports such as sailing a great opportunity to identify potential World Class performers and help them develop the physical and mental skills and abilities that could lead to them one day representing Britain at the Olympics.

“Thinking outside the box in this way to try to encourage more girls into sports they may never have previously considered is to be applauded and we are delighted sailing has been chosen to be a part of this initiative.”

Girls4Gold seeks to transfer many of the ‘ready made’ skills and abilities of talented sporting females into targeted Olympic sports, including sailing and, more specifically, windsurfing. Women at the Olympic Games sail the Neil Pryde RS:X 8.5 windsurfer and Bryony Shaw will represent Great Britain in the event at the Beijing Games this summer, following her gold medal winning performance at the Beijing Olympic Test Event last year.

So, if you are a sporty female aged between 17 and 25 years old and think you have what it takes to be the next Pendleton, Rudman, or Shaw, apply online at www.uksport.gov.uk/girls4gold before the closing date on 30 June 2008.

Meanwhile, a last minute surge of applications has been received for the UK Sport/EIS Pitch2Podium initiative. Over 1000 released academy footballers were offered the chance to take up the challenge and switch their talents to targeted Olympic sports. The application deadline is tomorrow, so those still hoping to apply must return their forms or apply online at www.uksport.gov.uk/pitch2podium as soon as possible.

Olympic gold medal winning sprinter and former football player for Plymouth Argyle FC, Darren Campbell, has pledged his support for Pitch2Podium and will be there to motivate the applicants at the testing day in Manchester in July.

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