Jessica Ennis to open her 2013 season at event in Edinburgh
Jessica Ennis is expected to compete in the hurdles, javelin and long jump at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Sports Centre.
Photograph: David Davies/PA Jessica Ennis, the Olympic heptathlon champion, will open her 2013 season by competing in the UK Women’s Athletic League Premier Division meet next month at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Sports Centre.
The appearance will mark her first outdoor competition since her victory at the London 2012 Games and she is expected to compete in three events hurdles, javelin and long jump for her club Trafford AC.
She said: “I am looking forward to getting back into competition.
Last year had some wonderful highs for obvious reasons but you cannot stand still for long in any sport let alone one like athletics.
I have been training hard with a view to this summer’s events, and the world championships in Moscow in August is the major goal.” Her coach Tony Minichiello confirmed Ennis has a Diamond League meeting in Oslo on her schedule, where she will again compete in two or three individual events.
Her first heptathlon competition will be in Tallinn in Estonia at the end of June.
Minichiello said: “Edinburgh is a good opportunity for Jessica to blow the cobwebs away and get into competition again.
We’re planning for her to do three events that day.
“The world championships is the main target for the season so everything before then is looking towards peaking for Moscow.”
Jessica Ennis to compete at Edinburgh's Meadowbank stadium
Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis is to open her 2013 season competing at Meadowbank in Edinburgh.
The world female athlete of the year will compete in a variety of events in the UK Women s Athletic League Premier Division next month.
The appearance, Ennis first outdoor competition since her success at London 2012, will see her compete for her club, Trafford AC, in hurdles, javelin and long jump.
The 27-year-old Olympic champion heptathlete said: I am looking forward to getting back into competition on June 8 at Meadowbank.
“Last year had some wonderful highs for obvious reasons but you cannot stand still for long in any sport let alone one like athletics.
I have been training hard with a view to this summer s events and the World Championships in Moscow in August is the major goal.
It will be good to compete again for Trafford AC in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Leisure chief executive John Comiskey said he was delighted to welcome the athletics superstar to the city.
He said: This is an excellent opportunity to see one of our country s finest athletes in action.
Tickets for the event which features Ennis and others in action against hosts Edinburgh AC, taking place on Saturday, June 8 are now available to purchase online1 at 5 for adults and 2 for children.
People who read this story also read
References
- ^ purchase online (www.ticketsource.co.uk)
Sir Keith Mills offers key research that grassroots sport funding pays
Olympic long jump gold medallist Greg Rutherford joins young children taking part in a Startrack athletics taster session at the Royal Sutton Coldfield Athletics Club.
Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian Sir Keith Mills, the deputy chairman of the London 2012 organising committee, has unveiled the results of a three-year research project that he says proves billions could be saved by the Treasury if more money was invested in grassroots sport projects.
The Air Miles founder said that the “groundbreaking” research gave a clear sense of the financial return from the sector for the first time and should form the basis of a concerted push for more investment from government and corporate backers.
The Guardian revealed earlier this year that sport and leisure investment was being disproportionately cut by local authorities as their budgets came under extreme pressure, while corporate backers are re-evaluating their investment in sport following the Games.
Along with Lord Coe, Mills was the architect of London’s bid to host the Olympics and its promise to “inspire a generation” to play more sport.
But he admitted that cash-strapped local “doorstep sport” projects, from inner city boxing gyms to initiatives to deliver fitness programmes in local parks, were rarely able to prove their effectiveness because they were concentrating on delivery.
The research, conducted by a company called Substance, used government statistics to determine that 4,174 per young person per year could be saved by using sport as an “intervention” to tackle social problems.
Using the records of 650,000 participants in previous projects, the company’s research showed sport projects had the greatest impact on alcohol and drugs misuse, reducing the risk by 19%.
The likelihood of young people taking part in crime and anti-social behaviour was reduced by 15% and there was a 14% improvement in their health and well-being, said Dr Tim Crabbe, the chairman of Substance.
Mills launched Sported as an umbrella organisation five years ago, promising to invest more than 2m of his own money and that of other investors in supporting thousands of local grassroots sport clubs that make a difference to social outcomes.
“We wanted to be able to say to funders that if they invest money in the projects we oversee, you’ll get a return on your investment.
We want to say the same thing to government departments, national and local.
And other charities, such as Comic Relief,” said Mills.
“Unless this sector has a very strong financial argument that says society will get a return, then the rate at which it is losing funding will accelerate,” he said of the rationale behind the research.
The government has insisted it remains committed to delivering a sports legacy from the London Olympics, but critics have claimed that confusion over its school sport policy and the cuts to local authority budgets will negate any benefit from the 1bn to be invested over five years through Sport England.
“What we wanted from this research was evidence that sport for development had an impact on social issues which would, in turn, enable us to create a robust case for investment in this sector,” said Mills.
“Sport for development work has been in the shadows for too long, it lacks funding and support and yet it’s providing a crucial service in some of the country’s most challenged communities.” He hopes to persuade other corporate backers to join Deutsche Bank in investing in projects and sports clubs supported by Sported.
Traditionally, corporate programmes had tended to invest in the arts and charity rather than sport.
“As a businessman, I was determined to make sure we got a return on investment,” said Mills, who is also a Tottenham Hotspur director.
“When we looked at how much evidence there was, there were lots of project reports and anecdotal evidence, but there was no single piece of evidence that could tell me as an investor how my money was being used.” The research has also given rise to a piece of software that will allow individual projects to evaluate the impact of their work.
“There are shaming statistics in this country about Neets Not in Education, Employment or Training, said Sir Richard Lambert, a senior independent adviser to Deutsche Bank.
“We have a higher correlation between economic deprivation and poor schooling than any other rich country and a major skills mismatch, with lots more students going to university but lots leaving school without any skills at all.
“That’s a threat not only to our economy but social cohesion more generally.
This will give a legitimacy and a strength to this whole approach to finance.”
Brand Beckham
David Beckham has gained worldwide fame and is tipped to become even more marketable Sky Bet Football Betting Retrieving latest Sky Bet odds Football Betting 10 Free Bet David Beckham is an almost unique sportsman whose huge earnings should continue or even increase in retirement, marketing experts believe.
The former England captain has announced will retire at the end of the season after a career which has seen him play for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris St Germain.
As well his as numerous playing achievements, the 38-year-old has also been phenomenally successful off the field throughout his career in terms of commercial activity.
And that is something that is likely to carry on for many years to come as marketers look to associate themselves with his brand.
Steve Martin, chief executive of M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment, said: “His appeal now will shift into different roles.
“He is on a totally different planet to other players in terms of commercial value and long-term ambassadorial roles.
” M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment chief Steve Martin Quotes of the week “He’ll have more time on his hands and more time for commercial partners and the brands he can work or be associated with.
“He has also got so many commercial sponsors that will carry on whether he is playing or not.
“He is on a totally different planet to other players in terms of commercial value and long-term ambassadorial roles.
Enduring appeal “He has got so many long-term deals that don’t depend on him playing – Sainsbury’s, adidas, Breitling – there are so many and, to be honest, the playing part of his career has been much less of the focus in the last 12-15 months anyway, even though he has maintained the public image.
“His appeal is so enduring and that won’t change.
“From a brand perspective he is unique.
He has an appeal that will go on for the next 15-20 years.
“He could, conservatively, earn 15-20million a year.
There are so many dimensions to him – family man, football, health and fitness, fashion, style – that is why his appeal is so broad and his sponsorship partners are so broad.
That will not suddenly go away.
“The playing side will die away but he is unique in that it won’t make much difference.” Beckham has made mistakes in his career, most notably the sending-off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup which briefly appeared to make him a national hate figure.
But he turned that around, not only with his performances on the field but with his well-managed activities off it.
Nigel Currie, director of sports marketing agency Brand Rapport, said: “I think he has been very well managed.
He has made all the right moves.
“He is a very talented person and he is very media savvy.
It doesn’t just happen.
“If you think back to his early days, he made a few mistakes, as all 20-year-olds do, and when he got sent off he was Mr Unpopular for a while.
“But over the years he has just got better and better and he knows exactly how to handle the media.
That is so important, because a lot of people don’t.
“He’s able to fulfil his duties and not make the slip-ups so many people do along the way.” Sky ambassador As well as his many commercial endorsements, Beckham’s image can add credibility and glamour to many entities.
He was heavily associated with the London 2012 Olympics and recently signed up to become an ambassador for a Sky Sports grassroots participation project.
Currie said: “He’s unbelievably marketable and I think he’ll become even more marketable.
“He’s got even more time to fulfil those roles and he’s such a popular figure that you can only see him going on to further greater things.” Sports marketing director Nigel Currie Quotes of the week “Brands will look to associate themselves with him and use him in a clever way to boost their image and everything else.
“You can now see him moving into even greater spheres and doing more brand activity than in the past.
“As his football has become less significant in recent years his profile has continued to rise – endorsements, ambassadorial roles.
“He’s got even more time to fulfil those roles and he’s such a popular figure that you can only see him going on to further greater things.”
Eriksson 'disappointed' to be quitting as UK Athletics head coach …
Home1 > News2 > Eriksson disappointed to be quitting as UK Athletics head coach
Peter Eriksson to leave UKA just seven months after taking over from Charles van Commenee
Peter Eriksson is to stand down as head coach of UK Athletics after only seven months of holding the position.
UKA confirmed the news on Wednesday, adding that the 60-year-old had asked to be released from his contract in order to return to Canada to be with his family.
Eriksson, who led the Paralympic programme to third finish on the medal table during the 2012 Paralympic Games before replacing Charles van Commenee as head coach for British Athletics, explained that he was disappointed to be making the move, but that personal circumstances require it. He also added that he currently has no plans to take on a role elsewhere.
Words cannot describe how disappointed I am to take this step, he said. There is no bigger job in athletics anywhere in the world.
At present I have no plans, but accept that if I am to take any other job in sport it will be a step down.
Athletics in Great Britain receives the best possible support through the National Lottery, and that, coupled with the performance structure here means it is every coach s dream to hold this position.
However no job is more important than family and children, and personal circumstances mean that mine need me to be back in Canada.
Born and raised in Sweden, Eriksson began his sporting career as a speed skater, competing in the World Championships of that sport in the Seventies before switching his focus to athletics. He attended the 1980 Olympic Games as an apprentice team coach for the Swedish athletics team and two years later began coaching disabled athletes and that soon became his area of expertise.
He moved to Canada in the Eighties and became head coach for track and field athletes in the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association, where one of his most successful charges was multiple Paralympic champion Chantal Petitclerc.
In 2009 Eriksson was hired by UK Athletics as head coach and performance director for the Paralympic programme. As part of that role he has coached a handful of the country s top disability athletes, including Hannah Cockroft who won two gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
He had signed a five-year contract with UKA as head coach, which would have see him through to the 2017 World Championships in London, but he will now continue in his position until just the end of June, leading the GB & NI team to the European Team Championships in Gateshead.
Performance director Neil Black will then oversee head coach duties for the remainder of the summer, leading the GB & NI team at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.
Also describing Eriksson s move as disappointing, Black said: This is a big disappointment but it could not have been foreseen six months ago, and Peter has been open with us on the personal challenges he faces.
Working with Peter we have put together a team of elite coaches leading each of the event groups based at the Institute and they will able to help me cover the head coach duties for the summer with minimal disruption.
But for now we are looking forward to a strong team performance in Gateshead and I look forward to working alongside Peter towards this goal.
UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos added: This is very much about the human face of performance sport, it is easy to talk about what it means for us but this is a personal issue and whilst we would love for him to stay, we can only be supportive and wish him the best.
He did a superb job as the Paralympic Head Coach, having joined us four years ago and built a strong team around him.
The signs were there that he could make the same impact on our Olympic programme, and I know that he will want to sign off with a successful team performance in Gateshead next month.
Neil Black will ensure stability for the ongoing programme, and we will review the structure at the end of the season, but what is most important right now is we continue to focus on Moscow and the job in hand.
References
- ^ Go to Home. (www.athleticsweekly.com)
- ^ News” (www.athleticsweekly.com)
Save me from the swirling madness as Fergie goes viral
More talked about than Margaret Thatcher’s death but not quite as popular as the election of the Pope.
That was Sir Alex Ferguson’s Twitter epitaph following news of his retirement last week.
Not too shabby for a 71-year-old football manager who once called the social networking site a waste of time .
Within an hour of Manchester United’s official announcement of Ferguson’s retirement, there were 1.4million mentions of the news on Twitter.
Farewell: Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement caused quite the stir on Twitter last week The club’s hashtag, #ThankYouSir-Alex, was the No 1 global trend the topic discussed most frequently within just eight minutes.
David Beckham’s Facebook tribute to Ferguson was liked by more than 95,000 people within an hour.
Poor Fergie from the band Black Eyed Peas must have wondered what on Earth was going on when her Twitter handle @Fergie was suddenly mentioned hundreds of thousands of times; such was the clamour for people to discuss and dissect what had been widely predicted in that day’s newspapers.
Maybe the real Fergie can now find time to take up Twitter during his retirement.
Pope Francis has 2.4million followers; there’s someone to knock off his perch.
Twitter was made for sport, and particularly on days like this when people so clearly felt the need to share their memories and thoughts or simply to laugh at adults being sent home from work because they could not contemplate life after Ferguson.
There was plenty of gushing particularly and amusingly from the BBC staff Ferguson refused to speak to for so many years and then there were those, like me, for whom United is Ferguson; those who have never known anything else.
For the 20-something generation, it really did feel like the end of an era.
Twitter initially seemed an apt place to chart it.
You can see why sport and Twitter thrive off each other.
It is fast, live, exciting and bouncing with opinion; provides a seemingly direct line of communication to the athletes we love to watch; and encourages the statistician geekily lurking inside many a sports fan.
Numbers, dates, runs scored, all there in 140 characters: to argue over, most probably.
Over and out: Ferguson lifts the Premier League trophy after United’s 20th title triumph But this insatiable thirst for information had reached laughable levels by Thursday afternoon.
United leaked news of David Moyes’s imminent appointment to their 33million Facebook followers before hastily deleting the post that welcomed new manager David Moyes .
Meanwhile, the over-eager fingers of grown men (it was mostly the chaps, I m afraid on my timeline at least) hovered over keyboards and smartphones, determined to be the first to confirm the news everyone had read in black and white over their cornflakes.
DAVID MOYES IS THE NEW MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER.
Really? We d never have guessed.
While last week played to Twitter’s strengths, it also showed its limitation as a medium for dissecting and evaluating sports news.
The last great truly old-school manager might be about to unplug the hairdryer for the last time, but 140-character statements from the great and the good were nothing compared to the pleasure of sifting through newspaper coverage or seeing a picture gallery of Ferguson’s 27-year reign at Old Trafford.
You can t cut out and keep a tweet.
Announcement: Manchester United used Twitter to tell the world about Ferguson’s retirement Twitter became all too much; a swirling sea of opinion and counter- opinion that made newspaper pages a welcome respite from the madness.
It’s funny: this week, with all its Facebook messages and Twitter missives, could have reflected not only the end of Ferguson’s United career but the demise of the newspapers that have charted it for nearly 27 years.
Instead, it has shown quite the opposite.
WHAT THEY SAID Vijay Singh is suing the PGA Tour after the Fijian, a three-time winner at the majors, claimed that he had been publicly humiliated and ridiculed .
It follows the doping case that saw the 50-year-old cleared by the organisation of any wrongdoing for using deer antler spray.
Yes, deer antler spray.
We ll just leave that one there, shall we? PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Jonny Brownlee, the triathlon star who won a bronze medal at London 2012, was told at the start of the year that he might not race at all this season owing to an ankle injury.
On Saturday, however, the younger brother of Olympic champion Alistair won gold in the World Triathlon Series in Japan.
Champ: Jonathan Brownlee of Britain celebrates his victory at the ITU World Triathlon Series race in Yokohama …AND THIS IS WHAT I VE BEEN DOING THIS WEEK Watched the London Sevens at Twickenham, which attracted a world-record crowd of 71,898 on Saturday.
Most could not have cared less about the rugby, mind you, but that is a serious show of support for a sport that thrives in a party atmosphere.
Attended the Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year dinner, where Gareth Bale was a worthy winner.
He spoke very well, too, although it is such a shame the last few recipients have opted for a Q&A format rather than making a speech.
Cycled the Thames Bridges Bike Ride in support of the Stroke Association.
It was a relief to reach the quieter streets of west London as the complete disregard that is shown by some drivers towards cyclists never fails to amaze me.
Justin Gatlin warns Usain Bolt of sprint ‘dogfight’ after Doha victory
Justin Gatlin, right, wins the 100m in Doha ahead of Nesta Carter (third), centre, and Kim Collins (fourth), left.
Photograph: Fadi Al-Assaad/Reuters Justin Gatlin and Mike Rodgers have warned their Jamaican rivals Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake that they intend to win a sprinting “dogfight” after securing a one-two in the 100m at the Diamond League opener in Doha.
Gatlin, the American banned from athletics for four years in 2006 after testing positive for steroids, clocked an impressive time of 9.97sec to win in the desert heat with his compatriot Rodgers a close second in 9.99sec.
Bolt ran 10.09 in his season-opener at the Cayman Invitational earlier in the week.
Blake missed the meeting here due to injury.
Gatlin, who picked up the bronze medal at last year’s Olympics behind the Jamaican pair, is confident that the Americans can challenge for gold at the World Championships in Moscow in August.
“I don’t turn up to races trying to be second and third, I train to go out there and run fast and be dominant in the race,” he said.
“You want a mixture of great athletes, you want to come to an event where you really don’t know who’s going to win or where it comes down to the finish line.
You want to go out there and have a really good dogfight.
“You’ve got to let him Bolt do what he does and I’ll do what I do.
When we meet each other, may the best man win.” Gatlin has rediscovered his form since his suspension, winning the world indoor title over 60m in Istanbul ahead of the Games, and his team-mate Rodgers confirmed the pair have the Jamaicans in their sights.
Rodgers said: “Of course there’s a rivalry, we want to beat them and they want to beat us.
We’ve got to even out the playing field.
On any day you can beat them.
They’ve got to tie their shoes just like you’ve got to tie your shoes.” Earlier in the evening the Olympic 800m champion, David Rudisha, eased to victory in a time of 1min 43.87sec.
The Kenyan barely had to get out of second gear and while he was almost three seconds off the record pace he set at London 2012, the win never looked in doubt with Rudisha leading from the off.
“I can do better, for sure,” he said.
“It’s always nice running here in Doha and the crowd was just fantastic.
I felt good and ran OK.” Mohammed Aman can take some solace from his second place.
However, that seems to be all the remaining athletes in the 800m are fighting for.
“I did not want to stay behind Rudisha,” Aman said.
“I tried to pass him but I could not.” It was a disappointing evening for Great Britain’s athletes with Robbie Grabarz failing to reach the latter stages of the high jump.
Grabarz, who has been working with the sports psychologist Steve Peters this year in an attempt to improve his focus after struggling for motivation, cleared 2.24m with one attempt but then failed to break 2.27m, well below his personal best.
The atmosphere inside the Qatar Sports Centre was a far cry from the raucous cacophony of the Olympic Stadium, but the home supporters, with pockets of Ethiopian fans increasing the volume, were vocal in their backing for Grabarz’s rival, Mutaz Essa Barshim.
However, the youngster finished second to Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko who jumped 2.33m.
Britain’s Tiffany Porter missed out on third place in the 100m hurdles despite a fine start, while Shara Proctor finished sixth in the long jump.
Her fifth leap of the night being a season’s best of 6.82m.
Christine Ohuruogu was the best performer for Britain when finishing third in the 400m, with the American Allyson Felix surprisingly beaten by Amantle Montsho of Botswana.
Basketball bids to light up London with Euroleague finals
Fans of Olympiacos Piraeus celebrate their qualification for the Euroleague Final Four, which takes place in London this weekend.
Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP Told earlier this year that Barcelona would in May be taking on Real Madrid in a showpiece end-of-season European final in London before a sell-out crowd, the thoughts of most sports fans would turn to Ronaldo and Messi gracing Wembley.
But although their footballing counterparts foundered at the Champions League’s semi-final stage, the Spanish sides are two of the best four basketball teams in Europe competing this weekend at the O 2 Arena in the Euroleague finals.
Still virtually unknown in this country, despite the huge popularity of teams in Spain, Turkey, Russia and elsewhere on the continent, Euroleague executives hope that bringing their end-of-season finals to London will help establish a bridgehead into the UK.
To that end, they have also taken over Trafalgar Square for the duration of the weekend to host basketball demonstrations and masterclasses on a weatherproof court, encouraged by Boris Johnson who is attempting to capitalise on the Olympics by attracting as many major sporting events to the capital as possible.
On Friday night Barcelona Regal took on Real Madrid and last year’s champions, Olympiacos Piraeus, took on CSKA Moscow in front of a predicted 16,000 crowd, split between travelling fans of the teams concerned and domestic basketball fans curious to see what the fuss is about.
Jordi Bertomeu, the president and chief executive of Euroleague, said that bringing the event to London for the next two years was part of a conscious strategy to grow into new markets and thanked AEG for offering up their “jewel in the crown”, in the shape of the O 2 , to host the final four teams.
“We have four great clubs that not only represent the history of European basketball but also have an important present and a bright future.
We have the best players and coaches of the continent fighting to become the champions of this Euroleague final four,” said Bertomeu, who claimed that the league’s popularity and commercial potential had continued to rise.
“Our final will be enjoyed by the fans in The O 2 but also those at home who watch the games on TV in 199 countries an all-time record for European basketball, a success that belongs to all of us.” The popularity of the game in Spain and on the continent stems in part from the multisport approach of clubs such as Barcelona, where fans of the football club are also likely to follow the basketball and handball teams based around the Camp Nou campus.
Cesc F bregas and other Barcelona players have been sighted cheering on their basketball counterparts.
Despite the recurrent difficulties faced by British basketball administrators in establishing a stable professional league, there is renewed hope that the sport can create a virtuous circle of raising participation at the grassroots and becoming more attractive to spectators domestically.
Hopes of both have been raised by a post-Olympics U-turn by UK Sport to reinstate 8.5m in funding that was due to be cut and the prospect of the London Lions playing their British Basketball League games in the Copper Box on the Olympic Park from the start of next season.
At London 2012 ticket holders got a taste of the European passion for basketball in the temporary basketball arena, particularly on nights when the noisy Lithuanian fans were in town.
The atmosphere in the O 2 is sure to be equally raucous on Sunday, when the two winning sides from Friday’s semi-finals will compete in the final and the two losers will play off for third place.
“It’s huge.
It’s a big deal to have an event of this magnitude in London.
Not a lot of people know just how big this is until they get there,” said Pops Mensah-Bonsu, the British forward who has played in the NBA and around Europe, and represented Team GB at the London Olympics and now plays for the Italian side Olimpia Milano.
“I’ve played in a Euroleague Final Four and I didn’t know it was that big until it got there.
The fact the Euroleague has chosen London for the next two years is a really big deal.
Basketball is one of those sports where if you haven’t seen it live before, you love it straight away.
“For all parties, it’s got to be a good thing.
It helps with the promotion of basketball and shows the rest of London and Great Britain just how big it is, and hopefully we can reach out to the younger generation and get them playing basketball too.” The mayor of London said he was encouraged by the deal that would see the Lions move into the Copper Box, which hosted handball during the Olympics, and hoped the Euroleague finals would help grow the sport.
“It’s a way of expanding basketball in London, which is a growing sport,” Johnson said.
Andrew Simpson’s death prompts full review by America’s Cup team
Artemis Racing crew members gather at a Treasure Island dock as their 72-foot-long catamaran floats upside down.
Photograph: Noah Berger/AP The America’s Cup team for whom British Olympic gold medallist Andrew Simpson was racing when he drowned in San Francisco has promised a full review of the accident that claimed his life, amid concerns over the safety of the huge multi-hull boats now used in the race.
Simpson, 36, a married father of two, died when the huge AC72 multi-hull craft on which he was training for the 34th America’s Cup in September capsized, leaving him trapped underneath for up to 10 minutes.
As tributes poured in from across the sporting landscape for a hugely popular and down-to-earth member of the British Olympic team, Artemis Racing pledged to “conduct a thorough analysis and review of this accident” and look at what could be done to limit risks.
Simpson won the Olympic gold medal with his friend Iain Percy in the Star class in Beijing and they gained a silver in London.
Stephen Park, the Royal Yachting Association’s Olympic manager, said the accident was devastating.
“Early on he had been a bit reluctant to get involved but once he decided to get into it he was in there with both feet,” he said.
“He moved his wife and kids out there a few weeks ago and was fully committed to this period through to September.” “He was a great guy and family man.
“Very passionate about everything he did.
Very passionate about sailing and living life.
It’s devastating that his life has been cut short.” Simpson, who grew up competing with and against Percy and Sir Ben Ainslie, the four-time Olympic gold medallist, was affectionately known by his teammates as Bart.
Percy is the sailing team director and tactician for the Swedish team Artemis Racing.
Defending champions Oracle Team USA, whose helmsman is Ainslie, said Simpson would be dearly missed.
He was “a great person, a terrific sailor, and a good friend to all of our team”, they added.
Park said the America’s Cup, which will be raced on high-tech 72ft winged-sail catamarans, had always pushed boat design and sailors to the limit but that accidents of this magnitude were rare.
Sir Keith Mills, the deputy chairman of the London 2012 organising committee and a key figure in the sailing community was due to be made a Knight Grand Cross – the highest grade of knighthood – on Friday but pulled out of the ceremony following Simpson’s death.
Sports Minister Hugh Robertson, who got to know the sailor in the run up to the London Games, said: “Andrew Simpson’s death is a huge loss to sailing, the Olympic movement and British sport.” Bart Rugo, a coastguard auxiliary member who lives on Treasure Island, realised something had happened when he heard coast guard helicopters.
He had been able to view the Artemis up close while providing security for America’s Cup competitors training in the bay.
“These are the fastest boats in the world and they are crewed by the finest sailors in the world.
They are going as fast as they can, always pushing the edge.
Sometimes mother nature throws you a curve and if you’re on the edge, well…” his voice trailed off.
Rugo said conditions were not ideal.
“The waves were real choppy and the wind was pretty strong but nothing out of the ordinary for San Francisco bay.” He said there were many possibilities for why the Artemis flipped.
“A rogue wave, a gust of wind, a miscommand from the skipper, a snapped line.
It could have been anything.” Simpson’s death has brought the debate over the new type of boats that race in the America’s Cup into sharp focus.
There have been two other deaths in the 162 years of America’s Cup racing: in 1935 a steward was knocked overboard during a trial race, and in 1999 a Spanish crewman was hit on the head by a piece of equipment.
But Simpson’s death, by drowning after being trapped beneath the Artemis for 10 minutes, was felt to be an accident waiting to happen among some America’s Cup observers.
Pictures of the capsized 72-foot Artemis appear to show structural failure on the boat and while the timing of that failure is not yet known, the images will none the less lend credence to the theories of those who believe the changes made to the design of boats have been a step too far.
The Pope, the Queen, the Sage and the football manager – Blogs …
Strategy & managing
About this blog Blog guide Welcome. If you have yet to register on FT.com you will be asked to do so before you begin to read FT blogs. However, our posts remain free.
This blog is mainly about business and strategy and how and why people who run companies take the decisions that they do.
John Gapper and Andrew Hill occasionally debate business issues between them, but your comments and criticism are welcome. Subscribe to the RSS feed 
1
To comment, please register for free with FT.com and read our policy on submitting comments.
All posts are published in UK time. Contact andrew.hill@ft.com4 or john.gapper@ft.com5 about the Business blog.
See the full list of FT blogs6.
References
- ^ RSS feed (blogs.ft.com)
- ^ register for free with FT.com (www.ft.com)
- ^ policy on submitting comments (www.ft.com)
- ^ andrew.hill@ft.com (blogs.ft.com)
- ^ john.gapper@ft.com (blogs.ft.com)
- ^ FT blogs (www.ft.com)
Recent Comments