CANBERRA, Australia – Australia's athletes and coaches will have 24/7 access to a "Green and Gold" war room during the London Olympics, where their performances can be analyzed and scrutinized with the latest video and computer technology.
Rather than rely solely on facilities provided by the hosts, the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Institute of Sport will operate a performance analysis center deep within a sponsor-owned building adjacent to the main London Olympic Park.
"For the first time ever our Olympic athletes will have access to the technology and specialist staff they need at the Games to enhance their performance and ensure they peak at the right time to boost our medal tally," federal Sports Minister Kate Lundy said.
Scientists and staff at the national sports institute in Australia's capital will also be monitoring the data collected in London.
"In London we're going to be using the time difference to our advantage -- while our athletes are sleeping, our specialist staff in Australia will be evaluating tape and working exhaustively to ensure our athletes have 24 hour support," London said.
The Green and Gold room will be able to cater for more than 50 people at a time and will even have rollout beds for staff who may need to work through the night. The 400-plus Australian team will also have access to a recovery center nearby, complete with state-of-the-art equipment and sports science staff.
"These initiatives demonstrate how Australia is using the expertise gathered from more than 30 years of high performance excellence at the AIS to give our athletes the greatest chance of success," Lundy said.
Australian Olympic Committee chief John Coates has tipped Australia to finish in the top five on the medals count at the London Games.
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