The extensive impact of Covid-19 on the high-performance system has been sharply outlined in the annual report of the Sport Ireland Institute for 2020.
The majority of interaction between support teams and athletes moved online, with support at international camps and competitions dropping to near zero.
Extensive Covid-19 countermeasures were adopted by the Institute focussed on maintaining and improving athlete and staff health and well-being.
Despite the challenges of 2020 and the closure of the facility during the early part of the pandemic, athlete sentiment toward the quality, access and availability of performance support services grew in 2020.
In particular, athletes reported very high satisfaction levels with the Institute’s Covid-19 response.
While the Sport Ireland Institute facility was closed during the early part of the pandemic, an exemption was granted by Government to reopen in June 2020, with comprehensive protocols in place protecting all users.
466 Covid tests were carried out on athletes and support staff across 15 sports with only three of those coming back as positive.
“2020 was a year like no other where the focus of our performance support team at the Sport Ireland Institute changed considerably,” said Institute Director, Liam Harbison.
“We moved from providing on-site support to Ireland’s aspiring Olympians and Paralympians at International training camps and competitions, to supporting them in their adapted training plans at home via digital means and keeping them safe and healthy.”
“Regular online connection with various stakeholder groups including CEO’s, Performance Directors and coaches ensured the high-performance community remained focussed on the Tokyo Games and ready for competition when permitted to do so.”
“With the support of the Sport Expert Advisory Group and the National Governing Bodies of Sport we have carefully navigated level 5 restrictions under the elite sport exemption and have recommenced international travel to support Ireland’s athletes.”
“While our strategy implementation has been delayed in some areas in 2020, our team continue to implement our ambitious plans and have a range of target initiatives set for the coming year.”
“The value of the Sport Ireland Institute to our high-performance athletes and their National Governing Bodies was never more evident than the response to the immense challenges for the high-performance community during the Covid-19 pandemic and the unprecedented postponement of the Olympic & Paralympic Games,” added Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin.
“Sport has shown incredible resilience over the last twelve months and our high-performance athletes will play an important role in providing hope and inspiration to us all in the important months ahead.”
“It is encouraging to see such a high approval among the athlete community for the work of the Sport Ireland Institute,” added Minister of State Jack Chambers.
“Recognising the need to prioritise the return to training for our high-performance athletes, the Government acted quickly and was pleased to put in place the necessary exemptions to support the athletes and allow a return to activity in the Sport Ireland Institute.”
“The Institute has retained a sharp focus on preparing athletes for the Tokyo Games this Summer in partnership with the Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland,” said John Treacy, CEO of Sport Ireland.
“Indeed, we are confident that Ireland’s performance potential at the Games this Summer remains undiminished due to the ongoing pandemic. As evidenced in the report published today, the early, informed and trusted sharing of information and advice from January 2020 provided reassuring and essential support to the system.”
“In addition, the swift adoption of digital support to athletes and the swift distribution of S&C equipment to athletes’ homes ensured that they could maintain training during the very uncertain early days of the pandemic. I would like to pay tribute to the professionalism and commitment of the Institute team during 2020, particularly ensuring continuity and professional care for the athletes we support during the most testing of years,”
Download the Sport Ireland Institute 2020 Annual Review here.
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