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The 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games wrapped up in style in Beijing and we would like to extended our congratulations to all of the NSWIS athletes, coaches and staff that made 2008 so memorable.
In total, 25 athletes took home 12 medals from the Olympic Games with the NSWIS tallying three gold, four silver and five bronze medals after the 16 days of competition, while 34 athletes took home six gold, thirteen silver and eight bronze medals from the Paralympic Games.
Undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories from the Games was that of Matthew Mitcham. Matthew performed the highest scoring dive in Olympic history to become the first Australian Olympian to win gold in the Men’s 10m Platform diving event, an outstanding achievement by both Matthew and NSWIS diving coach Chava Sobrino.
Swimmer Peter Leek was a standout performer of the Paralympic Games, taking home three gold, four silver and one bronze medal from his debut Paralympic Games, a magnificent achievement.
Preparations for the 2008 NSWIS Awards Dinner are in full swing. The success of last year's event is sure to be re-created on the 27th of November at the Australian Jockey Club as the NSWIS showcases our athlete's finest moments and looks back on what a successful year it has been for the Institute.
The introduction of recommendations from the High Performance Service Project, which was undertaken to ensure our service delivery structure is right for the future, is expected to provide the framework to enable NSWIS to best support our coaches and athletes into the future. The project’s outcomes will provide the best possible opportunity for their success.
With our new service delivery structure confirmed and our 2009 to 2012 plans developed NSWIS is well placed for success at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, the Commonwealth Games in 2010, and ultimately, the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
Charles Turner
Chief Executive