Olympics: High-performance base in Europe goal

The road to future Olympics could be made easier if New Zealand is successful in establishing a high-performance base in Europe.

Establishing such a base is one of the government sports funding body Sparc's major projects over the next 12.

"With the globalisation of high-performance sport most of our athletes play and train overseas," the chief executive of Sparc Peter Miskimmin told the Otago Daily Times.

"That comes at a cost."

The Australians have already established a base in Europe.

"We are looking to replicate that by providing a base from which New Zealand athletes can get tested and get services while they are training and competing in Europe," Miskimmin said.

Cycling and triathlon have established a base in Limoux, France.

"We have to consider the needs of the many other sports like rowing, sailing, boardsailing. athletics and all the other sports," Miskimmin said.

"At the moment, we are talking to other countries and looking at where we might locate the base."

This would reduce the cost to the athletes and mean a better use of the money that Sparc allocates to high-performance sport.

The need to establish a base in Europe was voiced by Scott Clarke, a Dunedin sports enthusiast, after the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

One of the problems faced by New Zealanders in all sports is getting enough top international competition before world championships, Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

Training facilities for most sports in New Zealand are of a high standard and in most cases it is not necessary to go overseas to train.

The big expense faced by New Zealand sport is the cost of gaining international competitive experience in Europe or North America.

This includes the cost of transport and living expenses.

Clarke believed that it would not be cost effective to provide more "bricks and mortar" in New Zealand.

"It would be of more benefit to top sports people to have a mini-institute of sport in Europe rather than in New Zealand," Clarke said.

"A base in Europe would also allow our coaches to develop their experience. It would expose sports people to greater competition, overseas coaching methods and advertise our goods and merchandise to Europe."

Clarke envisages athletes travelling from that base - probably in Germany - to get top international competitive experience.

The base would be a joint effort, with all New Zealand sports co-operating.

Athletics section manager for the Beijing Olympics Raylene Bates likes the idea.

"It is great that all sports are coming together," she said.

"It won't work for our Asian campaigns because the climate is so different.

"But it will be great to have a base from which to compete in the European season.

"It will be great for the runners, but it won't suit the throwers unless throwing circles are included.

"But it is good to have all sports working together and it will benefit some athletes. Potentially, it could end up as a very good base for everyone."

Bates said one of the big problems for New Zealand athletes in Europe was gaining access to the meets.

"We are lucky to have Marlon Gevaert of Belgium as part of our coaching team," Bates said.

"He has been able to get our athletes access to a lot of European meets.

"He is a brother of former world sprint champion Kim Gevaert and he knows many of the meet organisers.

"Over the last few years, we have developed a very good relationship with the Germans and the Belgians and that has helped us."

Gevaert has been coaching at the Millennium Institute at Auckland and is the personal coach of Olympic sprinter James Dolphin.

He returns home to Belgium after the Olympics but will remain an agent for New Zealand athletics.

Miskimmin will be in Beijing for the Olympics.

"Part of our role now is about Beijing, but it is also looking forward to the London Olympics in 2012," he said.

"We are developing our plans and this involves networking with other countries."