July 24 - Badminton England today named Scot Vikki McPherson (pictured), formerly one of the country's leading distance runners, as the new head of GB Performance in the countdown to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.


Adrian Christy, the chief executive of Badminton England, also claimed he is close to a second key appointment as he swiftly reorganises England’s coaching set-up following the departure last week of performance director Ian Moss.

McPherson, who is from Ayrshire, will officially take up her new role on August 9 having previously been Head of Business Operations with the English Institute of Sport.

She said: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with badminton at this crucial time and contribute to the ongoing evolution of the world-class system that Badminton England have established. 

"I have first-hand experience of the need for complete commitment and drive for perfectionism required to excel as an athlete, and I now adopt the same ‘no compromise’ approach to ensuring that the support systems around the athletes are equally meticulous in their approach. 

"My role will be to ensure that everything is in place to enable the coaches and players to have a 100 per cent undiluted focus on performance."
 
McPherson, a member of the British team led by Paula Radcliffe that won the bronze medals at the World Cross Country Championships in Marrakech in 1998, has previously worked for UK Sport and was also UK Athletics Performance Partnership Manager. 

McPherson, a qualified accountant, will work closely with the key administrators in the sport from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in ensuring the players on the GB Programme are as well prepared as possible for the big challenges ahead.

Christy said:"“We are delighted to have secured such an outstanding candidate.

"Vikki is a world-class administrator who brings a wealth of experience to the role including a thorough understanding of the demands and needs of elite athletes having achieved great personal success.

"I have spoken previously about the desire and ambitions that we have to deliver a performance environment that enables us to consistently compete against the best in the world and I am confident that Vikki will help take us forward into a new era for GB badminton."


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