A NETWORK OF EXCELLENCE

In April, UK Sport expanded the number of its accredited Elite Training Centres to 11. SportsNation sat down with some of the teams responsible for running the centres to find out more about how the network of high performance facilities works

UK Sport’s Elite Training Centres (ETC) play a central role in the UK’s high performance sport ecosystem. The network of world- class training environments serve as hubs for Olympic and Paralympic athletes, providing bespoke facilities, cutting- edge equipment and expert support services. In April this year, UK Sport announced that it was increasing the number of accredited ETCs to 11, with four new facilities added to the network, in recognition of their critical role in preparing Olympic and Paralympic athletes for success on the world stage. Building on the first cohort recognised in 2023, the four new facilities – University of Wolverhampton, St George’s Park (The Football Association), sportscotland National Centre Inverclyde and Lee Valley White Water Centre – reflect the network’s evolution, as new centres join to further enhance the UK’s high performance system.

To achieve accreditation, organisations must demonstrate excellence across a range of areas including facilities, people, partnerships, and organisational culture, alongside a clear commitment to continuous improvement. All accredited centres will continue to work closely with UK Sport and partners across the system to enhance their environments and contribute to a shared, high-performing network that supports sustained success for Team GB and ParalympicsGB.

High performance collaboration The networked approach to the ETCs is designed to improve access, foster collaboration across sports and create environments where innovation and shared learning can flourish. The approach includes regular meetings involving each facility’s leadership teams, where expertise and learnings are shared and discussed.

The centres provide permanent or semi- permanent bases for national governing bodies of sport and World Class Programme athletes and grant access to UK Sports Institute practitioners, from coaches, physiotherapists, performance psychologists to nutritionists and biomechanists. They also equip athletes with highly specific infrastructure – such as altitude-controlled environments According to Dr Kate Baker, Director of Performance & People at UK Sport, the ETCs are at the heart of the UK’s high performance system. “They are where athletes and teams do the hard work every day, supported by outstanding people and expertise,” she says.

“We are incredibly grateful to work with our ETCs and together we are shaping the greatest decade of extraordinary sporting moments in which they are playing a huge part, creating thriving environments where sports, athletes and coaches can perform at their best.

“As we look ahead to Los Angeles 2028, French Alps 2030 and beyond, we continue to evolve this network, strengthening the connections between centres and creating even more innovative, inclusive and high performing environments for athletes and staff.”

The ETCs that secured a reaccreditation in 2026: ● Loughborough University ● University of Bath ● Lilleshall National Sports Centre ● Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre ● National Taekwondo Centre, Manchester Aquatics Centre and the National Cycling

Centre (Manchester City Council) ● English Institute of Sport Sheffield ● Milton Keynes National Badminton Centre

The newly accredited centres are: ● University of Wolverhampton ● St George’s Park (The Football Association) ● sportscotland National Centre Inverclyde ● Lee Valley White Water Centre (GLL)

SportsNation spoke to some of the leadership teams of both reaccredited and new facilities to gauge how the ETCs operate and work together to drive excellence in high performance sport.

National Cycling Centre, National Taekwondo Centre and Aquatics Centre

Emma Foden

Head of Elite Sport and Events (Manchester) GLL

What does the status of being an ETC mean to GLL and the three facilities? It’s important for Manchester to be recognised as a leading global sporting city and the ETC accreditation helps to underline the city’s international credentials. Alongside the global profile generated by football, it reinforces that Manchester offers a diverse range of world-class sporting excellence across multiple disciplines.

For GLL and the three accredited centres, it provides formal recognition of elite-standard facilities, strengthening their appeal to governing bodies, squads and international training camps. It also aligns strongly with the city’s strategy to invest in world-class facilities, attract elite sport and position Manchester as a global sporting hub. Importantly, ETC status helps connect elite sport with community pathways, supporting a visible talent system, inspiring residents, and demonstrating progression from grassroots to podium.

What makes Manchester facilities unique is that they’re truly shared spaces. They’re used not only by elite athletes, but also by the public, local clubs and the wider Manchester community. While there are a small number of specialist areas – such as strength and conditioning spaces with dedicated equipment that are reserved for athlete use – the majority of the facilities, including the Velodrome, BMX track, swimming pool and matted taekwondo area, are accessible and regularly used by everyone. That mix creates a really inclusive and dynamic environment.

The facilities are used not only by elite athletes, but also by the public, local clubs and wider Manchester community

How does GLL and the three facilities work with other ETCs? The network is undoubtedly the most powerful element of the ETC. In most other environments, organisations like ours would naturally be positioned as competitors - whether that’s university against university or leisure provider against leisure provider. However, within the ETC network, that dynamic shifts completely. We operate as one team.

There’s a genuinely supportive culture across the network. A good example of that is when we’re looking at specialist equipment, such as contrast baths. Rather than working in isolation, we can tap into the network to understand who is already using them, gather honest feedback on different suppliers, and learn from their experiences - right down to practical considerations like installation. That shared knowledge is incredibly valuable and helps us make more informed decisions.

As GLL also operates the Lee Valley White Water Centre, which is an accredited centre in its own right, it’s been really positive to collaborate with colleagues across the organisation – supporting one another through the process and collectively reinforcing the importance of ETCs within GLL.

Loughborough University

Professor Jo Maher

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Sport Loughborough University

What does the status of being an ETC mean to Loughborough University?

We’re extremely proud to have been reaccredited as a UK Sport Elite Training Centre (ETC) and it reinforces something we have worked hard to build over many years – an environment where world-class sport, research, coaching and education all come together in one place. We have supported the Olympic and Paralympic ecosystem for more than 75 years, supporting over 440 medals. Sport is at the heart of Loughborough University, and our outstanding teams continue to foster a world-class environment where athletes and staff can excel through research, elite performance sport, and broader participation.

Achieving accreditation reflects the work we have done to support and enhance our environment, the strength of our partnerships, and the vital role we play in supporting the progress of Olympic and Paralympic sport across the UK.

Which NGBs and sports’ elite athletes do you work with? In the UK Sport network, we partner with UK Athletics, Aquatics GB, British Triathlon and British Para Powerlifting on an everyday training home basis. We also run immersion camps for GB Boccia and support British Wheelchair Basketball’s office staff on our Sport Park complex on campus. In addition to the Olympic and Paralympic programmes, we are also a home site for the ECB, England Netball, the LTA’s National Tennis Academy, and the NFL through the NFL Academy. We’re also the event home for England Volleyball. In addition to our partner NGBs being on site throughout the year, as part of the ETC network – and as a supporter of our high-performance system – we welcome any World Class Programme athlete to campus. This can be for convenience with an athlete’s individual training schedule, or for a specialist performance application. We work with one of the home venues, NGB, or UKSI to ensure we are expecting the athlete(s) to enable a seamless training experience.

How closely do you work with the other ETCs in the network? Collaborative working across the network is a huge benefit to being a part of the group. We regularly reach out to each other seeking advice in various areas. An example of this is when we were exploring the possibility of building a temporary structure at Loughborough to create a new sports hall. The team at Lilleshall had previously built something similar and we were invited to visit their facility for best practice.

We are working as a group to create a selection of ‘away day’ opportunities across the network for our teams. This will make the most of the different spaces that we all have and gives our colleagues an opportunity to learn from other centres operating in this space.

How much does being an ETC help attract staff and students – and also athletes/teams to train? For students, it is a real attraction point. Whether they are elite athletes themselves or interested in areas such as sport science, coaching, physiotherapy, psychology, sports engineering or performance analysis, they know they will be studying and often accessing industry placements, in an environment connected directly to elite sport and some of the best athletes and practitioners in the country.

It is also important in attracting staff. Academics, coaches and support specialists want to work somewhere they can collaborate closely with elite athletes and sports organisations, and where research can have a direct impact in high- performance settings. Having elite sport so closely connected to day-to-day university life also creates unique opportunities for research, innovation and knowledge exchange.

Sport is at the heart of Loughborough University, and our outstanding teams continue to foster a world-class environment

Being an ETC is equally valuable in attracting governing bodies, teams and athletes to train at Loughborough. The combination of facilities, expertise, sports science support and the wider sporting culture on campus is a huge draw. There is a reason so many national governing bodies and elite athletes choose to base themselves here.

The status has value as a recruitment and marketing tool, and it is something we reference across student recruitment, partnerships and external communications. But importantly, it is not just a badge or accreditation – it reflects what people experience when they come to campus. You can see immediately that elite sport is part of the University’s identity and culture.

University of Wolverhampton

Dr Ross Cloak

Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Science University of Wolverhampton

You are one of the new additions to the ETC network. What does the status of being an ETC mean to the university and its Judo Centre specifically? The accreditation marks a significant milestone for both organisations and recognises the strength of the long-standing partnership between the University and GB Judo (since 2013). The ETC status celebrates the quality of the daily training environment provided to athletes, including coaching, sport science, medicine, rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, and performance lifestyle support.

For the University, the recognition further strengthens its growing reputation within high- performance sport and demonstrates its ability to combine academic expertise with real- world impact. The ETC status also creates new opportunities for research, innovation, student engagement, and collaboration with national governing bodies and industry partners.

For GB Judo, the accreditation reflects the quality of the performance environment supporting athletes preparing for major international competitions, including Olympic and World Championship events.

Importantly, the accreditation is not simply recognition of existing success, but a commitment to ongoing development and collaboration.

Collaboration with other ETCs is an important part of ongoing development

What facilities does the Judo Centre house? The GB Judo National Training Centre at the University of Wolverhampton’s Walsall Campus provides a world-class high-performance environment designed to support athletes competing at national and international level. As part of the ETC network, the facility combines elite coaching, sport science, medicine, and athlete support services within an integrated performance setting.

At the heart of the National Training Centre is a dedicated judo dojo capable of supporting daily technical and tactical preparation for elite athletes. The facility is designed to accommodate both individual athlete development and full national squad training camps. The dojo features two full- sized 10m x 10m Olympic-standard sprung floor contest areas, creating a training environment aligned with international competition standards. Surrounding the dojo are state-of-the-art interactive performance analysis systems, enabling athletes and coaches to access instant video feedback and detailed technical analysis during training sessions.

Athletes also benefit from access to an extensive strength and conditioning suite equipped for high- performance training, alongside specialist recovery and rehabilitation facilities. Integrated sport science and medicine support includes physiological testing, performance monitoring, injury management, and return-to-play services delivered collaboratively by coaches, practitioners, and researchers.

The Centre further benefits from the wider resources available across the University of Wolverhampton, including specialist laboratories, teaching spaces, and applied research expertise. This close integration between academic knowledge and elite sport delivery ensures evidence-based practice is embedded directly into the daily training environment, supporting both athlete performance and long-term development.

The facility is designed to accommodate both individual athlete development and full national squad training camps

How will the university/Judo Centre collaborate with other ETCs? In several ways. Formal mechanisms include peer review and accreditation visits, where practitioners and leaders from different ETCs observe other environments, engage in discussion with staff, and contribute to consistent national standards. Themed workshops also bring centres together to focus on shared priorities such as sustainability, performance lifestyle support, and athlete wellbeing.

For us, collaboration with other ETCs is an important part of ongoing development. This includes sharing expertise from a combat sport environment, particularly in integrated sport science and medicine, while also learning from other high-performance settings such as football, badminton, and multi-sport centres.

A practical example of this collaboration occurred during the refurbishment of the gym and performance spaces, where visits were made to other training sites that had recently undergone similar developments. These visits provided valuable opportunities to share ideas on layout, equipment selection, athlete flow, and integrated support environments, ensuring that the final design reflected best practice from across the ETC network.

Do you think the ETC status will help attract students/staff/members? Can it be used as a marketing or recruitment tool? Yes, it can support [recruitment.It](https://recruitment.it/) is also actively used in marketing and communications to showcase the University’s role in elite sport.

For students, ETC status signals that the University operates within a nationally recognised high- performance environment linked to Olympic and Paralympic sport. This strengthens recruitment by offering direct exposure to elite athletes, applied sport science, and real-world performance settings.

For staff, it enhances the University’s appeal as an employer by demonstrating a strong applied, impact-driven environment with high-level external partnerships such as GB Judo. This helps attract and retain high-quality academic and practitioner staff.

For partners and athletes, ETC status provides external validation that the environment meets national standards for elite performance support, strengthening trust and engagement.

sportscotland National Centre Inverclyde

Pauline Kerr

Development Manager Inclusive National Sports Training Centre Inverclyde

As another of the new ETCs, what does the accreditation mean for you? It is a really important milestone for us. The accreditation recognises the quality of the facilities, services and support that we provide to high-performance athletes and teams. More importantly, it places Inverclyde within a UK- wide network of venues that are helping athletes prepare for major international competitions.

The centre has been supporting elite sport for many years, but accreditation from UK Sport helps raise awareness of what is available here and reinforces our reputation as a destination for performance sport.

What makes Inverclyde unique within the network? Inverclyde is a residential, camp-based centre, which means athletes can live, train, recover and access support services all on one site. That creates a really focused training environment. The centre reopened in 2017 following a £14.5 million redevelopment and offers 60 twin accessible bedrooms, a 400sq m fitness suite, indoor sports facilities, outdoor pitches and a range of meeting and support spaces. Teams can come here for short training camps or longer periods of preparation and have everything they need in one place.

That residential element is particularly valuable because it enables athletes and support staff to spend time together away from day-to-day distractions, creating an environment that is conducive to performance.

Accessibility is one of the things that truly sets Inverclyde apart. The centre was designed with accessibility at its core and can accommodate up to 120 wheelchair users at any one time, which is believed to be unique within the UK high-performance network.

That has made it an important training base for para-sport programmes and for athletes with physical impairments or more complex medical needs. We have worked hard to ensure that athletes can focus on performance rather than having to think about barriers or limitations within the environment. As a result, we have welcomed a wide range of para-sport teams and athletes over the years, and we know how important it is to provide facilities that genuinely meet their needs.

What impact do you hope the accreditation will have? We hope it will raise the profile of the centre both across the UK and internationally. We already attract national governing bodies, elite athletes and performance programmes, but this accreditation gives us an additional platform to showcase what Inverclyde can offer.

Ultimately, we want more teams and athletes to discover the centre and consider it as a place to prepare for major competitions.

How does this fit into sportscotland’s wider ambitions? One of sportscotland’s key roles is to provide environments where athletes can achieve their potential. Inverclyde is a great example of that. Whether it is supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes, national squads or emerging talent, the centre plays an important role in Scotland’s contribution to the UK’s high-performance sport system.

This accreditation is recognition of the work that has already taken place, but it is also an opportunity to build on that success and continue developing Inverclyde as one of the country’s leading training environments.

The centre was designed with accessibility at its core and can accommodate up to 120 wheelchair users at any one time, which is believed to be unique within the UK high-performance network

Bisham Abbey and Lilleshall

Laurie Jamie

Head of Strategic Partnerships Serco

How important is it for Bisham Abbey and Lilleshall to be part of the ETC network? ETC status recognises the important role that Bisham Abbey and Lilleshall play within the UK’s high-performance sport system. These are not simply sports facilities; they are environments that support athletes, coaches and performance programmes at the highest level.

From a Serco perspective, it provides independent recognition that we are operating the sites to standards expected within elite sport. For the centres themselves, it reinforces their position as nationally significant training environments and reflects the quality of the facilities, services and partnerships that exist across both sites.

The accreditation is also a reflection of the commitment shown by our teams and partners every day to create environments where athletes can train, develop and perform.

Which NGBs do you have partnerships with at the two facilities? We work closely with several national governing bodies across both sites. Including partnerships with England Hockey, Archery GB, British Gymnastics and Wheelchair Rugby all of whom have long-standing connections to the National Sports Centres.

Alongside those core relationships, we support a much wider range of sports through training camps, competitions, talent pathways and specialist facility provision. A key part of our role is working with governing bodies and performance partners to ensure the facilities continue to meet their evolving needs and to identify opportunities for further collaboration.

Can any Team GB or ParalympicsGB athletes train at the facilities, or are there specific sports that they cater for? Bisham Abbey and Lilleshall are known for particular sports, but they are not exclusively limited to those sports. Where the facilities and environment are appropriate, a wide range of high-performance programmes can access the centres for training camps, competition preparation, recovery, strength and conditioning, meetings and specialist support activities.

Our role is to work with coaches, governing bodies and performance partners to understand their requirements and provide the most suitable environment possible.

One of the aspects of the network is that the ETCs share learnings with each other – could you give some examples of this? The collaborative nature of the ETC network is one of its greatest strengths. We have been involved with the network since its inception, including supporting the development of the accreditation framework and participating in peer review activity. The network creates opportunities for centres to share practical learning and challenge each other to continually improve. Examples include sharing approaches to athlete experience for example when developing athlete lounges, operational management for sports specific equipment, accessibility, sustainability and facility development, supporting the changing needs of high-performance sport. The peer review process is particularly valuable, allowing centres to learn directly from each other’s experiences and innovations.

The network creates opportunities for centres to share practical learning and challenge each other to continually improve

What stands out most is that the network recognises elite training environments as being about much more than facilities alone. Successful centres are built on strong partnerships, excellent operational standards, skilled people and a genuine understanding of all partners needs.

Bisham Abbey and Lilleshall have supported generations of Olympic and Paralympic athletes while continuing to serve governing bodies, community users and future talent. Being part of the ETC network helps ensure those facilities continue to evolve, improve and remain among the UK’s leading training environments.

How much does being an ETC help attract staff and users to the centres? ETC status provides a recognised mark of quality and credibility. For athletes, coaches and governing bodies, it offers assurance that the centre understands the requirements of high- performance sport and operates to recognised standards. For staff, it creates a framework that helps them understand the specific requirements of elite sport and better support our partners and performance programmes.

The benefits extend beyond elite sport. Community users, clubs and aspiring athletes also gain access to facilities and environments that have supported Olympic and Paralympic preparation, helping to inspire participation and demonstrate clear pathways from grassroots involvement through to high-performance sport.

It is certainly a valuable recruitment and marketing asset, but its greatest value lies in the reputation and trust that underpin the accreditation. The status helps open conversations, while the quality of the facilities, services and partnerships is what ultimately attracts and retains athletes, governing bodies and community users alike.

Owned by: Manchester City Council Operated by: GLL, GB Taekwondo NGBs/sports organisations associated with: Aquatics GB, GB Taekwondo and Great Britain Cycling Team

NGBs/sports organisations associated with: GB Judo

Owned by: Sports Council Trust Company Operated by: Serco