[September 30, 2006]

WOODWARD PLANNING A MEDAL-RICH 2012

(Daily Mail Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) COMING fourth in the London 2012 medal table would mean more to Sir Clive Woodward than winning the rugby World Cup.

The British Olympic Association's new director of elite performance obviously means business.

Woodward yesterday shared his thoughts on his new role in public for the first time since he accepted the highest salary ever paid to a BOA employee, reputed to be an annual GBP300,000.

While promising to tread carefully in the controversial post, the former England rugby coach and Southampton FC technical director talked with enthusiasm about the challenge ahead which, he insisted, could even eclipse what he achieved with the aid of Jonny Wilkinson's boot in Sydney three years ago.

'Yes, it would mean as much if not more to me, ' said Woodward. 'I'm extremely proud of what everyone achieved but that's behind me now and I'm totally committed to this.

'It's completely different and I fully understand I have to work through others. But even if I'm only a very small part of a successful Games, that would be fantastic.' 'My skill is more related to the team sports but the core basics of training an elite athlete are the same for everyone. If I can go out and help the newer sports, that would be great, but I think the job will develop over time.

'I'm determined, though, that I won't cause confusion to performance directors and I'm not going to compete with them or UK Sport or cross over at all.

'The Olympics are going to be such a huge event in this country that we need to bring to the table as many people who can help as possible.' Quite how Woodward will contribute to Team GB - when UK Sport, who fund Olympic sports, already have two highly qualified performance directors overseeing each Olympic sport's individual performance director - will become clearer on October 11 when he will reveal his initial ideas.

'I wouldn't have accepted the job if I didn't think I could work with them and there was going to be conflict,' said Woodward, revealing he spoke at length with UK Sport chairman Sue Campbell before accepting the BOA offer.

'I have a lot of ideas but only when I sit down with performance directors will I know what can be delivered. I'm going to do whatever needs to be done.

I've a huge learning role but I do believe I can deliver something back.'

Woodward has met three performance directors from Olympic sports already - skiing, curling and wrestling - and will spend a day with cycling's next week.

He will look to utilise the experiences of top performers in sports outside the Olympic arena, an echo of a tactic which helped him so well in the past.

'I brought Steve Redgrave into the England rugby camp to talk about pressure in terms of his preparation and he had a huge influence on me,' he said.

Funding Woodward's GBP2m salary has been aided by the BOA's GBP28m deal with Lord Coe's London organising committee to sell the exclusive rights in Britain to the use of 'Olympic' and '2012'.

However, BOA chief executive Simon Clegg admitted the figure is far less than is needed.

'There will be a significant shortfall but everything we're doing in relation to 2012 is too important to worry about the money,' he said. 'I can't say where else we are going to find what we need.' The BOA, original motivator of the London bid, were not allowed to negotiate with London 2012 but ordered by the International Olympic Committee to sell for a price based on their marketing income before previous Olympics.

Copyright 2006 Daily Mail. Source: Financial Times Information Limited - Europe Intelligence Wire.

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