Sport for Business Leadership - Liam Harbison

The latest in our Leadership Series of Interviews sees Liam Harbison, Director of the Sport Ireland Institute of Sport sit down with Rob Hartnett to talk about maintaining high performance in the midst of a pandemic, about keeping up momentum towards Tokyo and much more besides…

On working through the lockdown

“We recognised the importance of maintaining connectivity. It has always been challenging to bring all our people together in a physical sense but with the use of new technology we have been able to connect as a group and that is likely to remain in place, at least as part of our working practice for a while yet.”

On Reopening the Sport Ireland Institute

“I’d be hopeful that with strong measures in place we will be able to start a gradual reopening in phase two, June 8th. We shut down on a phased basis with regard to high-performance athletes and that taught us a lot about the new ways that we will be able to reopen.”

“The bigger challenge will be the definition of non-essential journeys and how that would prevent many of our athletes from accessing the Sport Ireland Campus until July 20th, unless something can be found to enable our potential Olympians to travel.”

On Preparing for Tokyo

“For every month we are not able to train on the road to Tokyo, we are at a disadvantage. The primary factor is health but we need to be aware that these are key periods in which to bring back momentum.”

“If we are entering a situation where limitations or restrictions and even a period of quarantine are needed in order for the Games to go ahead, Team Ireland will not be found wanting and we will do whatever is needed.”

It is a great insight into the world of high-performance preparation and how it has adapted during the period of lockdown.