Rio 2016 – Outstanding performance for Team GB under Direction of OL Simon Timson

Team GB’s performance in the Rio Olympics has been outstanding – the best performance at an ‘away’ Olympics ever.

An ambitious 48 medal goal was set for the team which was smashed in fantastic style. Many of you may be surprised to learn that the person responsible for setting that target is Simon Timson, OL ’89 who is the Director of Performance at UK Sport. UK Sport is the UK’s high performance sports agency working across Olympic and Paralympic sports.

UK Sport is responsible for leading the Performance Directorate, whose mission is to enable a stronger more sustainable system for Olympic & Paralympic high performance sport and to win more medals at Rio. Their objective is to ensure sports are best prepared to deliver medal success at future summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Directorate has 2 portfolios; performance strategy, analytics and investment, and performance services, including the Performance Advisor, Elite Coach Development and Performance Pathway Development teams. It has been interesting to hear many of our medal winners paying tribute to the support they have received that has allowed them to prepare so well for these Games.

We always knew he would succeed in sport. The ‘Loughburian’ of 1989 sums him up as follows:-

‘Simon Timson has been at the Endowed Schools for 9 years – and since his 3rd year at Fairfield he has never lost a School high jump competition. He has numerous County Championship medals and has competed at the English Schools’ Championships. He has taken the School high jump record up to 1m96cms – it will take an outstanding athlete to better that record.’

There is no doubt that under Simon’s tenure we have built on the success on London 2012, and having Great Britain in second position in the medals is a testament to Simon’s leadership.

We couldn’t be more proud of Simon than if he had won a medal himself! We will be watching with interest as he moves on to his new position as Performance Director of the Lawn Tennis Association.

Photo Source: The Telegraph