Moynihan Warns of German Threat to Team GB Medal Hopes; Velodrome Test

(ATR) British Olympic Association chairman Colin Moynihan tells Around the Rings that Team GB is better prepared for Olympic success than in Beijing four years ago – but warns that achieving fourth place in the medals table will be "very tough".

"We have the prospect of more medals in more sports. Beijing was very focused on a small number of sports that medalled outstandingly," Moynihan said, citing the sports of cycling, rowing and sailing.

"The prospects for Team GB with a much larger team look impressive."

Around 550 athletes will compete for Team GB at this summer's Games - the biggest British team ever for an Olympics.

"All 26 sports [in Britain] have taken a major step forward from where they were in Beijing. What we now need to do is ensure we provide the opportunities for athletes to achieve personal bests and medals," Moynihan told ATR in an exclusive interview Wednesday.

Moynihan said Team GB's athletes could stun the world by outperforming in a number of sports including boxing, canoeing, football, taekwondo and tennis.

"These are sports that have come on strong in terms of an Olympic performance."

The BOA chief maintains that fourth place in the medal table at the Olympics continues to be a realistic goal. "To do that will be very tough," he cautioned, noting the "remarkable improvements" made in the performances of the Germans, Russians, Japanese and French across Olympic sports.

"The quality of the competition will be very tough indeed but we are certainly optimistic. I think the Germans have come on strong from Beijing and might do very well," he added.

Commenting on the BOA's legal battle with the World Anti-Doping Agency over its Olympic lifetime ban byelaw, Moynihan restated his confidence in the NOC's case.

"The BOA and its legal team believe we have a strong case on behalf of the athletes," he said of the BOA's selection policy which rules that any athlete convicted of a doping violation is banned for life from competing at the Olympics.

"We have worked for the last eight weeks preparing for March 12 [the CAS hearing]. We couldn't be better prepared."

He added: "We think it is absolutely essential to the NOCs of the world to have the autonomy to select the athletes they believe best represent their country."

Sailing Federation Happy with Athlete Village

International Sailing Federation secretary general Jerome Pels tells Around the Rings that the satellite Olympic village at the Weymouth and Portland sailing facilities are a massive improvement on London's bid book plans.

The bid book called for athletes and officials to be accommodated on cruise liner or temporary facilities in Weymouth.

"We thought that wouldn't really work. We are quite pleased that they found this solution," he said ahead of the handover of the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Village from the builders to LOCOG on Thursday.

The village is adjacent to the Olympic sailing venue. "Athletes can walk from their beds to their boats so it's an excellent solution," Pels added.

DeputyLondon 2012 chairman Keith Mills will speak at the handover ceremony of the 77 residential units in Osprey Quay that will house sailors and team officials this summer.

Spotlight Falls on Velodrome Test

LOCOG is gearing up for the first test event at the Olympic velodrome. Five Olympic champions and 16 world champions, including Britain's Beijing Olympic gold medalists Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton, head up a world-class field for the Feb. 16 to 19 UCI Track Cycling World Cup.

A total of 340 riders from 48 nations and 18 trade teams will take part in the competition.

More than 25,000 spectators are expected to attend over six sessions, giving riders a taste of the atmosphere they can expect in the velodrome over the summer.

"With over 1000 volunteers and workforce at the event as well as 350 athletes and television coverage, thisis will be one of the biggest events that we have delivered as part of our test event program," said Debbie Jevans, LOCOG's director of sport.

UCI chief Pat McQuaid underlined the important of the event. "The stakes will be extremely high in London this weekend. First and foremost, it is the final of the World Cup series, with athletes vying for the overall title.

"This London event is also one of the last occasions to gain points towards the UCI Olympic track ranking, so important for those nations still trying to secure starting spots for London 2012."

Olympics Chief Tapped for Report

Olympic Delivery Authority chairman John Armitt has been commissioned to draw up an action plan to share the lessons of the Olympic Park’s on-time-on-budget building program.

Culture and Olympics secretary Jeremy Hunt believes the Olympic Park project is a template for delivering large-scale construction projects and that sharing the lessons of its success will help British businesses win more lucrative contracts around the world.

"The key to long-term economic success from the Games is not about a Keynesian boost in difficult times," Hunt said in a statement.

"Instead, we need to ensure that the companies who built the Olympic Park, and others, learn from the experience of London 2012, exploit the global spotlight, and go on to bigger and better things in the future."

The report is to focus on the 1,500 businesses who won ODA construction contracts. To be completed in the spring, it will include lessons learnt from the delivering the Olympic construction program and details of new business wins and jobs created including contracts with the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and the Rio 2016 Games.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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