Australia’s athletes will head back to this London school after their events at the 2012 Olympics, but there is only one R on the schedule – “Recovery”.
The Australian Institute of Sport announced Wednesday it was fitting out an east London school with a replica of the AIS recovery centre in Canberra.
The John F Kennedy School in Stratford, just minutes from the Olympic Village, will be converted to the Australian team’s recovery centre for the duration of the Games and will be run by the head of AIS Recovery Dr Shona Halson.
“We now have solid scientific evidence regarding the importance of recovery, especially during competition,” says Halson, who is a world leader in recovery and oversaw Australia’s recovery centre at the Beijing Olympic Games.
“While most of our Australian athletes have access to excellent recovery facilities while training, the Australian Olympic Committee has ensured that they also have access to exceptional facilities, recovery options and sports science and sports medicine staff during the London Games.”
The centre will be divided into dry and wet areas with the dry area consisting of massage rooms and an active recovery and rehabilitation area with exercise bikes, stretching mats and rehabilitation equipment.
The wet area is designed to allow athletes to engage in recovery in both hot and cold water. For the first time, there will also be a psychologist based at the recovery centre in London.
“This is the most fully equipped and well serviced recovery centre an Australian team has had at any Olympic Games and the fact that it is so close to the village is an added bonus,” Halson said.
AIS Director Matt Favier said athletes required the highest level of service in order to be internationally competitive.
“The AIS plays a vital role in our international sporting success through the delivery of world best practices and our AIS recovery centre is an example of that cutting edge sports science benefiting our athletes,” Favier said.
The AIS recovery centre was opened in 2006 as part of the Federal Government’s $60 million infrastructure upgrade of the AIS Canberra Campus.
Image: Australian Sports Commission
