The countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games is well and truly underway, and with excitement and anticipation building every day, the Sports Institute Northern Ireland (SINI) was paid a visit by Minister for Sport and Olympics Hugh Robertson MP, who was keen to see how the Institute is working with Northern Ireland’s Olympic hopefuls as they vie for qualification.
SINI provides and plans a range of support services to Northern Irish athletes including sports medicine, performance nutrition, strength and conditioning, performance skills and performance science, and the Minister was able to see and hear about these services first-hand during a tour of the SINI facility with Head of Athlete Services Peter McCabe.
As well as giving the Minister an opportunity to meet with some of Northern Ireland’s elite athletes, the tour also allowed him the chance to see SINI’s combination of sports expertise and state-of-the-art technology in action. Irish Hockey star Michelle Harvey demonstrated the Ballistic Measurement System, and SINI’s Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach Mark Kilgallon explained how he uses the system to test and monitor force and power production to help him perform strength diagnostic assessments of athletes like Michelle.
Later the Minister met SINI’s Soft Tissue Physiotherapist Paul O’Neil and Sailor Ryan Seaton, who showcased the Institute’s RedCord device which allows Ryan to simulate the racing position he adopts when competing in his 49er boat. The Minister also saw a demonstration of SINI’s new Anti Gravity Treadmill provided by Ulster Rugby Academy player James McKinney. SINI Physiotherapist Chris McNicholl was on-hand to explain how the treadmill will enhance the Institute’s work with athletes; with gravity increased or decreased to counter the weight of the runner to varying degrees. Chris described how the effect is like running in lower gravity, and how this will be extremely beneficial for SINI Athletes in training, medical rehabilitation and other areas, in the run-up to next summer’s Games.
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