Perkins Slade clients are tipped to win as many as 24 medals at the London Olympic Games, an increase on the 17 achieved in Beijing in 2008.
UK Sport, which has contributed over £500 million in support of the Olympic Games Sports since the London venue was announced in 2005, recently revealed its targets for 28 of the 29 Olympic disciplines, 14 of which are insured via Perkins Slade.
Of Perkins Slade clients, those predicted to do best include Swimming (5-7 medals), Rowing (6) and Canoeing (3-4). Other sports believed to have more than a realistic chance of success include Diving (1-3), Gymnastics (1-2), Hockey (1-2), Tennis (0-2), Archery (1), Judo (1) and Badminton (1).
It is estimated that Perkins Slade provide insurance services for some 3.25 million participants each year, not including the huge army of volunteers and officials who are the life blood of British sport.
Richard Doubleday, Managing Director of the Sport and Recreation Team, said:
“We take our responsibilities very seriously and ensure anyone who takes part in sport and recreation activity is properly and appropriately protected. However, at this time in the Olympic cycle, and particularly because of a ‘home’ Games, our attention inevitably focuses on those at the elite end.
We were thrilled, in 2008, to be insurers for 17 medallists. To beat that total in London, with 24, would be an amazing achievement.”
In addition to the participants themselves, it is not well known that a large proportion of the thousands of match officials, judges and technical delegates will be British too. For them, taking part in the Olympic Games is the pinnacle of their career and a testament to the many hours they will have contributed, over the years, to make them the best at what they do.
Perkins Slade also has great sympathy for those who have not quite made it; whose hopes and dreams for the last 4 years have rested on them being selected for their home Olympics. Opportunities like this come round once in a lifetime; it is tragic for those who make so many sacrifices, train so hard and compete with such distinction but don’t ‘get the nod’ on final selection.
Great news too is that Oscar Pistorius, who runs on carbon-fibre blades, has been selected to compete for South Africa in the 400 metres and 4 x 400m relay. Having had to fight his International Federation (the IAAF) for the right to compete, this really is an extraordinary achievement.
Hard on the heels of the Olympics of course are the Paralympic Games.Great Britain always does phenomenally well – with medal prospects too numerous to mention.
What we hope now is that the whole country will unite to support Team GB and that we as a Nation show that we are indeed capable of organising the ‘best ever’ Olympic and Paralympics Games.
Roll on 27 July and let’s look forward to starting the medal count!