Wide ranging support for Ireland’s leading athletes

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Wide ranging support for Ireland’s leading athletes

With Rio fast becoming a distant memory Athletics Ireland are already in full swing to embed the best possible support for Ireland's leading athletes on the next Olympic cycle to Tokyo in 2020.

Working alongside Sport Ireland Institute (SII) 211 athletes, 104 male and 107 female, from youth to senior avail of a multitude of services. A snapshot in 2016 saw 1717 physio appointments, 210 days strength and conditioning support through the SII and 100 days nutrition support through the SII. That excludes regional providers.

Athletics Ireland's philosophy on High Performance is to develop structures so that we can have world-class athletes, coaches, facilities and support staff working closely together in pursuit of a common good to make a difference in our sport and the success achieved in the Olympic Games, World and European events.

Below is a synopsis of all the work done by the association alongside Sport Ireland and integral staff involved. 

Carded Athlete Support - Operation Gold Performance Programme

Athletics Ireland with Sport Ireland manages and administers the athlete carding scheme.

The Operation Gold Performance Programme selects and invests in athletes to provide “more opportunities” and to “achieve performance results” that will be supported on two levels:

1.       Performance - Individual Carding: 

Podium - World-Class -International, Development, Emerging Talent and Discretionary categories.

2.       Opportunity - Team Ireland Carding: support athletes who do not meet with the criteria for individual carding but given an opportunity to represent Athletics Ireland at a major championship.

2017 - 145 athletes offered support through funding and performance services and another 60 athletes will be offered services through team and relay carding

·         AAI Service providers, Sport Ireland Institute service providers and regional providers give Carded Athletes access to services across; Physio, Medical, S & C, Nutrition, Sports Psych, Lifestyle, Physiology, Podiatry etc.

·         Access to World Class Training Facilities, at the Sport Ireland Institute High Performance Centre where athletes and Coaches can access  the four-lane, 130-metre indoor running track, S & C gym,

·         Regular workshops, seminars and education programmes facilitated

High Performance Team

High Performance Director - Championship Selection Manager

Summary: Areas of Responsibility

Senior, U23 Athletes

Elite Coaching

Performance Services, Carding, Chps Selections

Relays

Jacqui Freyne - Performance Development Manager

Summary: Areas of Responsibility

U23, Junior, Youth Athletes

Performance Services, Carding, Chps Selections

Gillian Brosnan - Performance Operations Manager

Summary: Areas of Responsibility

Youth, Junior, U23, Senior

Lead for:

Championship Team logistics

Performance Services

Carded athlete support

Charlotte Gillick - Athletes Services Co-ordinator

Summary: Areas of Responsibility

Youth, Junior, U23, SeniorChampionship Team logistics

Performance Services athlete support

Carded athlete support

Paul McNamara - Senior Endurance Lead

Summary: Areas of Responsibility

Senior, U23 Athletes
Cross Country, Endurance and Marathon events

Steve Macklin – Junior Endurance Lead

Summary: Areas of Responsibility
Youth, Junior Athletes
Cross Country and Endurance events

Relay coaches

Shane McCormack - Men’s U23/Sr 4x1 Relay Coach

Daniel Kilgallon - Men’s Yth/Jr 4x1 Relay Coach

Karen Kirk - Women’s Yth/Jr 4x1 Relay Coach

Jeremy Lyons - Mens/Womens 4x4 Relay Coach                                          

Performance Services Team

Athlete services are provided across the country and internationally between physiotherapists, soft tissue therapy, strength and conditioning, doctors, psychologists, nutritionists, podiatrists, physiologists and lifestyle co-ordinators. 

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