Team Great Britain Receives Team Kits In Loughborough

Team Great Britain, which includes three favorites to medal in London, officially met as a team last week in Loughborough.

See the press release below:

The six triathletes selected to represent Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games were in Loughborough last week (Wednesday June 20) to pass through the ‘Team GB Experience’, which included the official kitting out process ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, Lucy Hall, Stuart Hayes, Vicky Holland and Helen Jenkins all made the journey to Loughborough to receive their official Team GB kit.

Loughborough based athlete, Lucy Hall commented: “This sort of thing is brilliant because it makes you think, ‘oh this is really happening’ after all the training you have done throughout the years. It’s like your moment, the London Olympic Games. You can’t beat it.”

The triathlon events are set to be the most memorable of the London 2012 Olympic Games with the women’s race taking place on Saturday August 4 at 9 a.m. and the men’s on Tuesday August 7 at 11:30 a.m. Triathlon will be one of the few free-to-view sports during the London 2012 Olympic Games, with much of Hyde Park open and un-ticketed during the events.

Jonathan Brownlee urged the sporting community to make the journey to Hyde Park and cheer on Team GB adding: “The atmosphere around Hyde Park will be amazing, it will probably be the best triathlon ever. I don’t know if there will be another triathlon event like it in my lifetime! If I wasn’t racing, I would definitely be there watching. I know that my local running club has got two or three buses going down and my school friends will be there too so definitely come and watch it.”

Approximately 550 athletes and 450 support staff in total are expected to pass through the ‘Team GB Experience’ with adidas alone issuing 175,000 units of kit across 23 sizes and 349 items, with female athletes receiving 65 items of kit and male athletes receiving 59, not including their sport specific competition wear.

Team GB Chef De Mission, Andy Hunt, acknowledges the importance of the athletes and staff going through the ‘Team GB Experience’: “Everyone involved in sport knows that receiving your team kit is a hugely important milestone. Receiving and wearing your team kit is a very special moment and the kit you wear is a key part of what binds you together as one team and it enables supporters to show their pride and passion for the team.

“Our challenge was to deliver Team GB kit that brings together 550 Olympic athletes from 26 sports, 750 support staff and volunteers – all very different shapes and sizes – and also inspire 60 million people across the UK to get behind Our Greatest Team.”

Mike Hay, Team GB Preparation Camp Director added: “It is anticipated that every Team GB athlete will pass through the Prep Camp in Loughborough to go through the Team GB Experience and some as part of their training; this makes the camp a massive logistical operation. The amount of detailed planning and foresight that goes into a camp which is working with over 500 athletes and 750 support staff is incredible.

“Through the Prep Camp we bring together a variety of athletes and nations, for example a Northern Irish rower, Scottish cyclist, Welsh swimmer and an English triathlete, making this Team GB Prep Camp our chance to bring together all 26 sports and the home nation athletes into One Team GB ahead of the Olympic Games.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for all the Team GB support team to provide gold medal service to our athletes as part of their important journey to the London 2012.”