THIS IS THE new €4 million training facility that will help Ireland’s Olympic hopefuls to fulfil their world class ambitions.
More than 180 of the country’s top athletes, spanning 18 different high performance sports, will be based in the state of the art centre at the Irish Institute of Sport in Dublin.
The 3,800m² space, which is due to be fully operational by next month, will provide support in the areas of physical conditioning, testing, rehabilitation, nutrition, physiology, medicine, precision analysis and education.
It took 11 months and cost €3.98 million to construct the centre on the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, while an additional €721,000 has been spent to kit it out with equipment.
The training centre is “one big laboratory,” the Institute of Sport’s director Gary Keegan said, and marks “an evolution in support excellence.”
The42 was among the media invited to take a tour on Thursday afternoon. Here’s what is inside:
A fully-equipped strength and conditioning area
A dedicated boxing gym which will consist of four training rings and one full-size competition ring
Multiple fixed cameras are due to be installed around each ring to assist with performance analysis.
A four-lane, 130-metre indoor running track with performance analysis capabilities including Optojump
At one end of the track, there is an integrated long jump area
Rehab facilities include an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill, which can reduce the impact of gravity by up to 80% of a person’s bodyweight
The medicine and rehab area is overseen by Dr Rod McLoughlin, Director of Performance Medicine at the Irish Institute of Sport
The “athlete changing village” includes both hot (sauna / steamroom) and cold (ice room) recovery facilities
Athletes across all sports can rest, socialise and study in “the social ecology space.” This will include a number of sleep pods
As well as cooking facilities, the athletes’ kitchen will include nutrition education and demonstrations
