BADMINTON BOOT CAMP

With the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games fast approaching, coaches and athletes are working hard to ensure their preparations are keeping them ahead of the game. To this end, badminton has enjoyed an innovative approach to their strength and conditioning, seeing athletes taken to boot camp…in Buxton.

Andy Allford, English Institute of Sport (EIS) Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach for the East Region, who works predominantly with badminton players, designed the five day camp which took place earlier this month.

“We decided to do the camp due to the 12 month qualifying period athletes have” he told eis2win.co.uk.

“With a change of environment and no other distractions we wanted to refocus them on the summer ahead.”

By all accounts the camp was no walk in the countryside, with an intense focus on conditioning, offering a variety of both physical and mental challenges. Activities ranged from hill sprints and circuits to canoeing and mountain biking.

“We had fun and worked hard” said Allford, “we had one run to a rock quarry where we then used the rocks for weights which is a change from the usual gym in which they train” he added.

With coaching staff joining the five athletes as well as EIS Nutritionist Bronwyn Lundy and EIS Psychologist Juliette Lloyd, team building activities kept everyone on their toes and provided a good base from which to build their training leading up to Beijing.  

One of the athletes who enjoyed the camp was Anthony Clark, who was named alongside mixed double partner Donna Kellogg as the British Olympic Association (BOA) announced the Badminton Team GB athletes in London’s Chinatown last week.

“After a long qualifying period, it’s an awesome feeling to be going to the games” he said.

Also representing Team GB in Beijing will be Athens mixed doubles silver medallists Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms, with Emms and Kellogg also teaming up for the women’s doubles.

Andrew Smith and Tracey Hallam will also compete in the men’s and women’s singles respectively.

by Rebecca Lee

29.05.08

Photography © Getty Images