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Euan Burton –
2011 World Masters bronze medallist:
It's a year out from the opening of the London Olympic Games and
I suppose it makes me think just how long, and how short a year
can actually be! It's a long time as I know there is a huge amount
of hard work, training, ups and downs to go before the big day
but equally I know that this next 12 months will begin to rush
in and before we all know it we will be in the middle of our home
Olympics. What a thought!!
Gemma Howell
– 2010 IJF Korea World Cup silver medallist:
I have been counting down the days until the Games next year in
my diary since there was 1000 days to go and it is scary and exciting
how fast the days are going down. I don't know if the British
public are prepared for what is coming next year, but it will
be my first chance to see live or compete at an Olympic Games
and I think it's going to be absolutely amazing! I hope British
Judo can make everyone proud.
Margaret Hicks
– Performance Director:
As we approach the one year mark to the Olympic Games it is important
for everyone; the players, coaches, support staff and management
to focus on the quality of work and improvements, which can still
be made ‘day on day’ leading in 2012 and not to be too distracted
by the hype and publicity, which is only going to build over the
next 12 months. We also need to ensure there is a groundswell
of positive feeling and support developing behind the players,
who are working very hard to try and meet the performance standards
in order to be selected for the 2012 GB Olympic Team. At the same
time players need to embrace the pressures which are coming, as
this attitude will define those who have the ability to deal with
the pressures of the Olympic Judo tournament in Excel and the
potential to win Olympic medals a year from today. However for
now everyone is focused on training and preparation into the Worlds
next month.
Kate Howey –
Lead Development Coach, Olympic bronze and silver medallist:
One year out and the Games in London are feeling very real, all
of a sudden we are talking about days and not years. This is going
to be such a fantastic experience for players, coaches, parents,
staff and for this games as it is in London the general public
will be involved nobody will escape the buzz, having been to a
few I can’t wait to enjoy the experience with everyone!! Good
luck to team GB!!
Lisa Allan –
Judo Manager, London 2012:
Unbelievable is the only word I can use to describe it. It seems
like only yesterday I was at the European Youth Olympics in Italy
in 2005 and we were cheering and crying as London won the bid.
The fact that some of those athletes from that team are likely
to participate makes it even more special.
It is hard to comprehend
that one year from now we will have everything in place for the
judo events and that on the 26th July we will have the draw for
the Olympic judo competition and 2 days later the actual competition
will start. It is so exciting to part of it and I can’t wait for
the Opening ceremony. The Excel is going to be a great place to
be during the Games as there will be 7 Olympic and 6 Paralympic
sports taking place there. With 386 athletes (from over 100 countries)
taking part in Olympic judo and 132 athletes (from over 40 countries)
in Paralympic judo, the judo team here at London 2012 are committed
to delivering the best stage for all these top judoka to perform
on and we know we will see some of the best judo ever. On a personal
note my fingers are crossed for a British Gold in both events.
Julian Davies
- Judo Services Manager, London 2012:
Only 52 Saturdays(Olympics)
and 56 Saturdays(Paralympics) the World’s best Olympic and Paralympic
judo athletes will come together for their respective events,
right here in the UK!
Could the World championships
in Paris later this year be an early indication of things to come
for the Olympics next year? One thing for sure the London2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games will be special events. I personally
feel honoured as a former Olympian to be part of the judo team
in London working to deliver a great London2012 experience for
all.
For all those dreaming
of their own Olympic/Paralympic experience I wish you all the
very best in fulfilling your dreams and as Mr Pierre de Coubertin
famously said many years ago “The most important thing in the
Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing
in life is not conquering but fighting well."
Simone Callender
- Judo Technical Operations Manager, London 2012:
With one year to go I’m
a mixture of excitement and nerves that we are 365 days from the
start of the Games, however it means I only have 364 days to get
every table, chair and ice box in place. It is hard to visualise
the actual ten days of Olympic and Paralympic judo while consumed
in spreadsheets and sketches but I know that every detail will
count on the day for the athletes and everyone else involved.
I am excited about the
judo team growing in the office once the Games Time Roles have
been appointed and looking forward to working with like minded
people who are also judo nuts. During Games Time we will have
over 300 people including, Technical Officials and volunteers
working on the Field of Play, Back of House and training venues
making sure that everything runs smoothly and just in case I don’t
get to say it at the time... thank you to everyone who will take
part as you will make it an awesome games for us all.
One thing I am definitely
looking forward to is seeing some world class judo and watching
the years of preparation from both the athlete and organisation
side come together for 10 amazing days of judo. Many of my friends
from around the world and former team mates from Great Britain
will be competing in London and I hope to give them all a good
luck or congratulatory hug at some point during the event.
From a London 2012 perspective
I want the event to be amazing for each athlete, volunteer, staff
member and official with memories they can keep forever. From
my own personal perspective.... Come on Team GB!!
See you all at Excel.
Karen French
– BJA London Development Manager:
The Opening ceremony
of the 2012 London Olympics is just one year away – the announcement
in 2005 does not seem that long ago – I was driving between meetings
in Aldershot and Brighton when the announcement was made and remembers
the feeling of elation and sheer pride when London was announced
as the winners for the bid. When I arrived at the Sussex CSP that
afternoon for a meeting I was swept away by the excitement and
the party atmosphere. It was only on the drive home that what
it meant for us in judo started to hit home,
The legacy for us in
London was not a shiny new facility but more Upskilled Coaches,
more mats , better resourced Clubmarked Clubs who have sound volunteer
structures and accessible pathways for all who take up judo, whether
it be competitively, via a volunteer officiating route or as a
Coach and participant. Not everyone has the capability to be the
next Olympian, but we do have the Capability to give a greater
accessibility to our Sport in the Capital and ultimately as we
are the media window at the moment this growth can help those
clubs in the other areas of London.
It is an exciting area
to have worked in the past six years and I am sure the next 365
days will hold many opportunities and challenges not all of them
unfortunately that we have the people power to grasp – but we
are in the limelight here in London that hopefully everyone in
the judo world will benefit from – let’s hope we have got some
areas right and that we have managed to inspire the next generation
to take up such a great sport and grow the judo family.
Elaine Down
– International Judo Federation A Licence referee:
The excitement and anticipation is growing daily, I have the added
bonus of living in London and I am surrounded by Olympic Mania,
on the buses, tube, television and papers.
It does not seem possible
that it was seven years ago when we were awarded the bid and I
was watching it all unfold on the telly. My own personal goal
was always to be part of the Olympics in some capacity and never
more so when we become the hosts. Firstly to have any hope of
becoming a potential Olympic Referee I had to pass my International
Referee Licence which I did so in April 2009 and then at each
World Cup and European events I attended, maintain a consistent
classification of A or B. This year my overall classification
was an ‘A’, which meant that I was in a position to be selected
to referee at a Worlds Championship.
Fortunately, this has
happened and I am off to the World Cadets in Kiev in August. There
is a very clear process of selection for the Olympics that a potential
Olympic Referee has to go through and at the moment I am on target.
Those who have been fortunate enough to become a Olympic Referee
should be advised in late August early September, so that they
can prepare for the test event in December at Excel London – the
Olympic venue.
I have the added bonus
of being involved with the BJA’s workforce of volunteers who shall
also be assisting at the event, and have watched their excitement
of applying to be a volunteer at the Olympics and now the waiting
to find out who has been successful... To be involved at some
many different levels of the Olympics is very exciting and to
see how the biggest sporting event in the world is unfolding and
organised by so many people is awe-inspiring.
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