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Loughborough University selected as new England Athletics Talent Hub

Loughborough University has announced a new partnership with England Athletics that will see it become a new national Talent Hub.

As part of the new agreement, the new Hub will provide coaching support, coach education, mentoring, and a range of sports science and therapy services, providing direct support to hundreds more athletes and their coaches on the England Athletics Talent Pathway. 

The aim of the Hub network is to create a training and educational environment for pathway athletes and their coaches and, over time, develop links to local clubs to become an integrated part of the England Athletics structure.

Loughborough’s selection is due to its established reputation built over many years of supporting and developing world-class athletes. This further builds on England Athletics’ mission of providing a network of industry-leading elite and community-linked environments.

Femi Akinsanya, Director of Athletics, at Loughborough University, said: “We’re delighted to have been selected as a new Talent Hub. This partnership is testament to the longevity of a high-performing athletics programme at the University that consistently delivers for its athletes.

“By building on the great work already in place, we hope to ensure that our athletes continue to receive the very best of performance support to achieve their personal sporting goals.”

The agreement will build on the two established Hubs at Birmingham and Leeds, with St Marys University, Twickenham, also selected as a new Hub.

Sarah Benson, Head of Talent Development at England Athletics, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with St Mary’s and Loughborough as talent hubs to support more athletes on their journey through the pathway.

“The expertise and development environment that St Mary’s brings to the England Athletics Endurance Programme is world-class, as is also the case with Loughborough’s long standing and rich heritage within athletics. Together, we are incredibly excited to be working towards delivering the England Athletics and UK Athletics Talent Strategy together.”

 

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 22/226

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2021 QS World University Rankings and University of the Year for Sport by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2022.

Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2023, 10th in both the Guardian University League Table 2023 and 11th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

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