The British Olympic Association has accepted three players, Sally Conway (U70kg), Sarah Adlington (+78kg) and Tom Reed (U81kg), along with coach David Sommerville, to be a part of their ‘British Olympic Ambition Programme’.

The programme will offer athletes, who have potential for 2012, the opportunity to experience the 2008 Beijing Games. The scheme has been created by the BOA as it is statistically proven that the majority of athletes, who win an Olympic Gold medal, do so at their second Games. This is attributed to the experience they gain from attending a previous Olympic Games.

Sally, Sarah, Tom and David will leave London for Hong Kong on 8th August, and then be transferred to Team GB’s holding camp in Macau where they will spend two days with Team GB, leaving for Beijing on the 11th August. After their arrival in Beijing, they will have the opportunity to experience life within the Olympic Village and also the competition venues before returning to London.

Sally Conway, 21, who is a Junior World Champion silver medallist, won silver earlier this year at the 2008 Hamburg Super World Cup. Sarah Adlington, 21, also from the Edinburgh Judo Club, replaced the injured Karina Bryant at the recent 2008 European Championships in the category and finished 5th. Tom Reed, 22, won silver and bronze at the 2007 and 2006, U23 European Championships respectively.

Karen Roberts, BJA World Class Operation Manager, said, ‘Having the opportunity to experience their first Olympic Games will be of great benefit to the participants, as statistically proven by recent research. It will provide the athletes with an invaluable experience and increase their medals hopes, if selected to represent Team GB at the London 2012 Games’.

Commenting on her acceptance onto the program Sarah said, “It will be a very exciting time when we visit Beijing, especially being in the athletes village and also having tickets to watch the judo event, hopefully it will give me excellent experience, which can only help me on the road to London 2012”.

Sally said “It will be a fantastic experience to be in Beijing and to be around Olympic athletes, the program is giving us all an excellent opportunity to understand what the Olympics are all about which will help us prepare for 2012”, she continued “It will be a hard four years leading up to London but years I am looking forward to”.

Tom said, “I’m really looking forward to visiting the Beijing Olympics and hopefully by seeing what the Games are all about, it will give me a excellent insight to what to expect when the Games are in London”

“I hope that by experiencing the Games first hand, I will not be overawed when the Olympics are in London 2012, and it will give me a greater chance of winning a medal”

Coach Luke Preston was originally selected but was unable to take part as he is Karina Bryant's travelling training partner. He was therefore replaced by David Sommerville.

For further information please contact James Sills at jamessills@britishjudo.org.uk