LONDON (Reuters):
BRITAIN HAS launched a grassroots search for 20 potential Olympic champions, with an eye on boosting the host nation's gold medal count at the 2012 Games in London.
Following the example of Australia in the run-up to the 2000 Sydney Games, British sport is to go talent-hunting among 1.5 million youngsters to see who might have the right credentials to compete at the highest level.
Battling against the world's sporting superpowers, Britain has ambitious plans to reach fourth place in the medals table at their home Games, which they won the right to host ahead of hot favourites Paris a little over a year ago.
However, the campaign needs to start immediately.
NO ACCIDENT
"There is no accident we are doing this now," Olympic rowing medallist Matthew Pinsent told Reuters yesterday, as he launched the hunt for sporting stars.
"Enthusiasm for sport in the run-up to the Games is greater than it has ever been. It is such an opportunity for sport in this country," he added.
"Everyone agrees there are three Olympic nations we cannot reach China, America and Russia. But there are countries like Australia, Italy and Germany which are in the high teens in the (gold) medals table. We have got to beat them."
The £500,000 (US$920,460) talent search, dubbed 20-4-2012, is targeting 11-16 year-olds around Britain to see who might have the raw natural talent to reach the Olympic podium in six years.
Through youth clubs, schools and national sports bodies, the project leaders hope to sift through the hopefuls before finally picking 1,000 children to attend 100 talent camps.
"If you find the right individual and the right sport you can do an awful lot in six years," Pinsent said.
"It is along the same lines as the Australian campaign in the lead-up to Sydney. That put two people in cycling on to the podium. Our guys looked at the Australian model, said 'Yes' and then tweaked it for us," he added.
But it all takes time.
"The magic ingredient between very, very good and medal class - I don't think you will discover that until years later," Pinsent said.
But he denied that it would be a brutal sifting process that aped the hunt for instant talent in reality TV shows like X-Factor and Pop Idol.
"The X-Factor model is a bit flawed. This will be genuinely rewarding for anyone who does it," Pinsent promised.
