Today the British Olympic Association (BOA) announced the athletes and coaches invited to take part in “Britain’s Olympic Ambition 2012” programme.

The programme, designed to enhance athlete medal success at the London 2012 Olympic Games by providing talented potential team members with an opportunity to experience the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, will see athletes from 33 disciplines spend seven days in Macau and Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games.

Whilst there, athletes will visit the Team GB preparation camp in Macau, the Olympic Village and the Athletes’ Lodge. They will also have a press conference fronted by their mentors, Olympians like Denise Lewis, Ed Coode and Alison Mowbray. In addition participants will be given the opportunity to watch two competition sessions for their specific discipline.

This programme’s focus is based around providing sports specific event exposure and to replicate, as closely as possible, an athlete’s overall Olympic experience.

Said Simon Clegg, Team GB Chef de Mission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games:

“This programme is unique worldwide and is expected to provide a real competitive edge to the participants. With the BOA’s aspirational target to finish fourth in the overall medal table in 2012, and research showing that a significantly high percentage of medallists at any Olympic Games have attended previous Olympic Games, this experience can form a vital part of the athletes preparation for Olympic success.”

Those attending from Shooting are:

Athletes: Ken Parr, Neil Stirton, Peter Wilson

Coach: Donald McIntosh

The British Olympic Association (BOA) today selected Shooting members of Team GB for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The athletes are:

50m Rifle Prone (Men), 50m Rifle Three Positions (men), 10m Air Rifle (men)

Jon Hammond

Double Trap (Men)

Richard Faulds

Steve Scott

Trap (Women)

Charlotte Kerwood

Skeet (Women)

Elena Little

Commenting on their selection:

Steve Scott: “Obviously I am chuffed to take part in the greatest sporting event in the world, it hasn’t really sunk in yet that I am going to Beijing.  When I get on the plane, that’s when I will get nervous, until then I will continue my preparations to get myself in to the best possible shape”.

Elena Little: “I am ectastic and over the moon to be selected for the team and it’s great to be going to Beijing as I have been working very hard towards this goal.   My preparations have been going really well and I look forward to getting on the plane and heading off”.

Simon Clegg, Team GB 2008 Chef de Mission, said:

“I am delighted to welcome these shooting athletes in to Team GB, especially Richard who has been so successful for Team GB in the past. I am sure that his experience added with the blend of exciting young talent here is an exciting prospect for Beijing this summer.

I am sure that all the athletes will be looking to build upon their recent successes and I wish them well in their final preparations for the Olympic Games.”

John Leighton-Dyson, Team GB Shooting Team Leader for the Beijing 2008 Olympics said:

“I am delighted to be able to announce these athletes including four new Olympians all of whom have qualified against the best in the world.  We have high hopes of good results in Beijing.  Richard Faulds has been shooting exceptionally well and he is an excellent medal prospect going in to his 4^th Olympics.”