The Olympic Council of Ireland today announced the Team Ireland Leaders for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Among the 17 Team Ireland Leaders are European Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley (Golf), Kevin Ankrom (Athletics), Joseph Hennigan (Boxing), Brian Nugent (Cycling), Sally Filmer (Gymnastics), Mike Heskin (Hockey) and Peter Banks (Swimming).
Michael Ring TD, Minister of State for Sport and Tourism, also announced the special allocation of €1 million to support qualification, preparation and participation at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The investment will provide additional support to 18 sporting bodies in the areas of acclimatisation camps, familiarisation and preparation tours, training camps and competition costs.
The 17 Team Leaders announced today will be recognised by the Olympic Council of Ireland and the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games as the person having the overall responsibility for that sport. They will also be accountable for their athlete’s performance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, under the overall leadership of the Team Ireland Chef de Mission, Kevin Kilty.
Each Team Leader has previous leadership and management experience at an Olympic Games World and European Championship, an excellent working relationship with the Chief Coach and other Coaches in their sport and knowledge of the world’s best practice in performance and management of their sport.
The Olympic Council of Ireland will deliver a Team Management programme in the run up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and each appointed Team Leader will be expected to attend all the required workshops, training, policy development and team days.
The Team Leaders for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games are:
Sport Appointed Team Leader
Athletics Kevin Ankrom
Badminton Tom Reidy
Boxing Joseph Hennigan
Canoeing Ike Jacob
Clay Pigeon Shooting Jeffrey C McCready
Cycling Brian Nugent
Golf Paul McGinley
Gymnastics Sally Filmer
Hockey Mike Heskin
Horse Sport Triona Connors
Judo Ciaran Ward
Modern Pentathlon Lindsey Weedon
Rowing Morten Espersen
Rugby Football Gillian McDarby
Sailing James O’Callaghan
Swimming Peter Banks
Triathlon Chris Kitchen
A key component of the successful preparation of London 2012 was the acclimatisation camps and preparation tours and The Olympic Council of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland have identified Uberlandia as the best possible location for Team Ireland in advance of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Michael Ring TD, Minister of State for Sport and Tourism, says that the €1 million investment announced today will assist a team of athletes, coaches and services providers visit Uberlandia in advance of the Games.
“Today’s announcement is a significant development in Team Ireland’s Rio preparation. I would like to commend the Olympic Council on today’s appointments of Team Leaders and their commitment to the planning process in advance of the Games. 2015 will be a critical year in terms of qualifying for Rio and, as such, requires a higher level of investment than other years in the cycle. I am delighted that today’s special allocation of investment to support qualification, preparation and participation will go some way to alleviate the stress on the various budgets as well as provide a major boost to the system in aggregate.”
Pat Hickey, President of the Olympic Council of Ireland, said:
“We have achieved much in the last two Olympic cycles, with unprecedented levels of cooperation and understanding between the Irish Sports Council and the Olympic Council of Ireland. Never before has Team Ireland been so well supported and we have to thank our Minister for Sport, Michael Ring, for this. Today we announce the most competent and successful group of Team Leaders that Team Ireland has ever fielded at an Olympic Games and I know our athletes and coaches will be given the greatest assistance possible in achieving their best performances.”
Paul McGinley, Golf Team Leader, said:
“It was a great honour for me over the last two years to represent Europe as Captain and I am now delighted to have the opportunity to assist my Country as Team Leader of the Men’s and Ladies Irish Golf Team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. I’m really looking forward to working with the Olympic Council of Ireland in the build up to Rio over the next 18 months and representing our country at this phenomenal event.”
Kieran Mulvey Chairman of the Irish Sports Council, said:
“This the most successful period of sustained success in the history of high performance sport in Ireland. I would like to acknowledge the partnership and cooperation between the Olympic Council and the Irish Sports Council in ensuring our athletes and support teams have the optimum conditions and structures in place to enable them to perform on the world stage. We are also delighted that the Minister has agreed to provide additional support to the High Performance programme. This investment will bring major benefits to the system in aggregate and provide additional support to sporting bodies in the qualification and preparation for Rio 2016.”
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About the Olympic Council of Ireland:
The mission of the Olympic Council of Ireland is to manage and enhance the performance of Team Ireland at Olympic Games, whilst developing the Olympic Movement in Ireland
Our key objectives are:
- To provide Team Ireland with the most effective athlete centred, performance driven operational planning and management at each Olympiad
- To maximize commercial value of the Olympic brand and provide long term financial security for the OCI
- To develop and protect the Olympic Movement in Ireland
- To provide Strategic Leadership and representation of Olympic Sport within Government, EOC and IOC.
- In addition, the OCI, as the National Olympic Committee, and under the Olympic Charter, aims:
1.To propagate the fundamental principles of Olympism
2.To encourage the development of high performance sport
3.To help in the training of Sports Administrators
4.To fight against doping and illegal betting
5.To preserve the autonomy of the NOC and resist pressure including political, religious and economic
6.To formulate opinions and convey to the IOC
The Role of a Rio 2016 Team Ireland Leader:
- Team leadership and management play a critical role in the success of an athlete. With the differences between success and failure being marginal, it is necessary to constantly address all factors that contribute to the athlete’s performance. The OCI and the Team Leader will be united in striving to build a Team Ireland high performance environment.
- The Team Leader is the one individual recognised by the OCI and the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (OCOG) as the person having the overall responsibility for that sport. The Team leader background should have:
2.1 Previous leadership and management Team Leader at an Olympic Games World Championship.
2.2 An excellent working relationship with the Chief Coach and other Coaches in their sport.
2.3 Knowledge of the world’s best practice in performance and management of their sport
2.4 A prioritised support staff within their sport
2.5 A commitment to participation in the OCI’s Team Management programme, including regular attendance at seminars, Olympic preparation/holding camps and recces
2.6 Outstanding people management and communication skills and effective management skills in conflict resolution
2.7 Capability to meet the physical and psychological challenges of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games environment
- Liaison with the OCI
The Team Leader is the one individual recognised by the OCI and the Rio 2016 Competition Manager as the person having the overall responsibility for that sport programme (normally the Performance Director).
3.1 National Federations will therefore be approached about two years prior to an Olympic Games
3.2 The OCI will deliver a Team Management programme in the run up to a
Game It is vital that each appointed Team Leader attends all the
workshops, training, policy development and team days in the build up to
the Games.
- Pre-Games Requirements
There will be sports specific factors that must be taken into consideration, but we hope that the following will be used as a guide for Team Ireland pre-Games requirements.
3.1 To sign off on the Olympic Qualification standards and procedures, and the sport internal selection and appeals policy, to include a fit to perform policy
3.2 Agree the sports pre games test event and training camp policy
3.3 To be responsible for liaison with Team Ireland Headquarters in respect of all performance issues, team clothing, flights, media, medical, accreditation, training camps, test events and all logistical arrangements for their sport
3.4 To identify a priority list of accredited support staff for your sport, for consideration of the Chef de Mission and liaise with the OCI on final numbers based on the overall Team Ireland allocation from Rio 2016 across all sports
3.5 To be a party to and ensure that all Team Members abide by the OCI’s Team Members Agreement.
3.6 To liaise with the OCI in respect of all logistical arrangements and be a conduit for all relevant information to be passed to all athletes and officials.
3.7 To become fully acquainted with the drug testing protocols and athlete whereabouts information required by Rio 2016.
- Games time Requirements
4.1 The Team Leader will have overall accountability for their athletes performance at the Rio 2016 Games under the overall leadership of the Team Ireland Chef de Mission
4.2 To arrive in the Olympic Village 24 hours ahead of any of their individual athletes and officials.
4.3 To undertake responsibility for distribution of individual team accommodation within and ensure that all Team Members attend any Olympic arrival briefing that is being held.
4.4 To liaise with the OCI press officer and agree communication protocol.
4.5 Keep the OCI Chief Medical Officer and Chief Physiotherapist informed of any potential issues prior to and during the Olympic Games
- Post Games Requirements
5.1 To take responsibility for return arrangements of individual Team Members once they are back in the Ireland.
5.2 To ensure that all freight or kit returned by sea or air freight is collected from the OCI as soon as possible.
5.3 To attend post-Games debrief meetings held by the various agencies.
5.4 To attend post Games receptions.
