How do I find out more about the Olympic Movement around the world?
The International Olympic Committee is the global governing body of the Olympics. Its official site is a comprehensive source of information about the Summer and Winter Games, past, present and future. It has links to all the National Olympic Committees around the world, as well as all the International Sports Federations. You can visit the site at
www.olympic.org.
How do I find out more about the upcoming 2012 Summer Games in London?
The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for the delivery and staging of the 2012 Games. Visit their website for more information about the Games, how London is preparing for the event and how you can be involved. You can find it at
www.london2012.org.
How do I find out who won a medal in a particular Olympics?
The official site of the International Olympic Committee has a complete database of every medal winner from the Summer and Winter Games. You can find it at
www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/index_uk.asp. Alternatively, if you just want to know about Team GB’s medalists, we have a comprehensive database of British Olympians here.
How do I find out about what’s going on in sport around the UK?
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is the government body responsible for running and promoting peoples’ participation in sport in the United Kingdom. You can find its website at www.culture.gov.uk. The DCMS funds Sport England which promotes participation in sport, (
www.sportengland.org) and also supports UK Sport (
www.uksport.gov.uk) the agency charged with leading sport in the UK to world-class success.
How can I get more active?
Keeping active, fit and healthy is an important part of life, and it’s easy to add sport to your daily routine to help you do that. The Everyday Sport (
www.everydaysport.com) initiative helps people find easy and practical ways to add sport to their lifestyle. The BBC also has a Health and Fitness site (
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/health_and_fitness) where you can learn about keeping fit in general.
How do I find facilities for competing in a sport near my home?
There are many thousands of sports facilities around the UK. Many can be found through your local council (
www.direct.gov.uk) or a listings directory. You can also use the search tool of Sport England – Active Places (
www.activeplaces.com). You can find out more about sport in Wales through the Sports Council Wales (
www.sports-council-wales.co.uk), in Scotland via the Sport Scotland website (
www.sportscotland.org.uk) and in Northern Ireland from the Sports Council Northern Ireland (
www.sportni.net).
How do I find out more about taking part in a particular sort of sport?
Every sport has a national governing body in Britain that promotes and coordinates its particular sport. There’s a list of them on this site here. Alternatively, The BBC has an online Sports Academy (
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/academy), where you can find some basic information about getting started in a variety of sports.
How can I start competing at higher level in sport if I’m at school?
The best way to start competing in sport in a higher level is to join a local club. You can find out about clubs in your area through the national governing body for each particular sport. There’s a list of them on this site here. At higher levels of national competition, there is also the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme – a government-funded programme to help rising athletes who are in higher education or working. You can find out more about the scheme through its official website at
www.tass.gov.uk.
How do I get more advice on training and preparation for professional competition?
If you’re making the grade at your particular sport and want to graduate to high-level competition, then expert advice is the best way to move forward. Often, this is through personal coaching. The various national governing bodies for each sport (
you can find a list of them here) can help advise you on specific ways to improve in your sport and on finding a personal coach. At the very top level, the English Institute of Sport (
www.eis2win.co.uk), the Scottish Institute of Sport (
www.sisport.com), the Welsh Institute of Sport (
www.welsh-institute-sport.co.uk) and the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland (
www.sini.co.uk) help Lottery-funded athletes in their preparations for international competition. If you’re intere
How do I find out more about the sponsors that are helping Team GB?
The British Olympic Association works with a number of companies – both large and small – to help Team GB compete in the Summer and Winter Games. You can find details about them, along with
links to their relevant homepages, here.
How do I get my school more active?
There are many ways to promote a more active environment at your school. One way is to hold an Olympic Day in your school. Information on
how to plan this can be found here.
How can I get tickets for the forthcoming Olympic Games?
Sportsworld are the British Olympic Association’s Official Ticket and Tour Operator for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, visit their website for further details at
www.sportsworld.co.uk
How can I get involved in post-graduate Olympic research in the UK?
The Centre for Olympic Studies & Research (COS&R), founded in July 2004, is a joint initiative between the British Olympic Foundation and Loughborough University. Visit the Centre’s website for further details at
www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/sses/institutes/cos
How can I get hold of photographs/pictures of Olympic athletes?
Getty Images hold the rights to all Olympic photographs and imagery, contact them with any queries you may have at
www.gettyimages.co.uk
How do I find out more about our Paralympic athletes?
The British Paralympic Association is responsible for providing support services to elite Paralympic squads and sending teams to each Paralympic Games. Visit their website at
www.paralympics.org.uk for information on the Paralympic Games and sports.
How do I find our more about the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games?
Visit the official website of the 2008 Games at
www.beijing2008.com for up-to-date information on the Games, venues, sports, mascots and volunteering etc.