Carr calls for ruthless approach

Rod Carr is targeting a larger medals haul in Rio
5 June 2013

New UK Sport chairman Rod Carr wants performance directors to be "absolutely ruthless" in keeping athletes focused on helping beat Team GB's bumper medal haul at the next Olympic Games.

The host nation finished third in the medals table last summer following an unforgettable Games, with 29 golds from a grand total of 65. Carr, though, sees no reason why given the millions of pounds of public money now flowing into elite sport that tally should not be bettered by the next generation of aspiring British Olympians.

However, the one-time performance director of the Royal Yachting Association, who has succeeded Baroness Campbell following eight years as a member of the UK Sport board, warned there cannot be any complacency within each individual organisation's elite squad members as they look ahead towards the next Olympic cycle.

"I remember lying on my bed in Sydney when we (Sailing) had won five medals, and thinking 'this is great'. There was a lot of desire," Carr recalled.

"I don't get the impression from the winners, those who are there or there abouts, that there is any less desire (now).

"Do I think in any system which supports people in their lifestyle there is a danger people could ride on the back of that success and be mediocre? Yes, there is.

"Do I have any direct experience of that? No. Have I heard that sometimes it might happen? Yes - but that is what good performance directors are for, they should root out that and be absolutely ruthless about making sure there is not that kind of culture because it is insidious."

There will be no safety net of automatic qualification via Home Nation places for the Rio Games, with each place on Team GB having to be hard earned, while competition will be played out in a very different environment from the euphoria which surrounded all events at London 2012.

Nevertheless, Carr sees no reason why the bar of performance should not be raised once again in Brazil.

"Aspirations should be as high. Our goals are to do better in Rio than Team GB did in London," he said. "In sporting terms, that is a really stretchy goal, it is not like 'they will never make it', but yes it is going to be really hard. Do we think we can do it? Yes, we do feel more medals are achievable."

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