The British Olympic Association (BOA) has appointed Dr Niall Elliott as its Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in what is a strategic move for the organisation.
Elliott will work with the BOA on a year-round basis, additional to Games-time periods, and will fulfil this part-time role alongside his current position as the Head of Sports Medicine at the sportscotland institute of sport and as Team GB’s CMO for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The appointment will see the experienced medical practitioner provide direction and leadership on all medical and anti-doping matters to the BOA, as well as oversee the governance and delivery of medical services for all International Olympic Committee accredited Games in a four-year Olympic cycle.
Elliott will work closely with key stakeholders, including UK Sport and the Home Country Sports Institutes, to develop the field of sports medicine for the optimisation of performance and delivery of innovative medical care in an Olympic environment.
Tokyo will be Elliott’s eighth major Games across both winter and summer editions and Commonwealth Games where he was most recently CMO for Team GB at Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 and CMO for Team Scotland at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Commenting on his appointment, Niall Elliott, BOA Chief Medical Officer, said: “I am hugely honoured to be joining the BOA in a more formal capacity and I am excited to be working with colleagues who have been influential in my career to date. The Olympics is the pinnacle of an athletes’ career and the medical teams are very privileged to help support their health and wellbeing on this journey.”
BOA Director of Sport Services and Team GB Chef de Mission for Tokyo, Mark England, added: “This is an extremely positive step for the BOA and one that signifies our continued commitment to the health and wellbeing of every athlete, staff and delegation member.
“This is a strategic role and one that will enhance and innovate our medical care during Games-time and throughout the Olympic quad, allowing athletes to perform at their absolute best.
“A hugely experienced and respected individual within his field, I’d like to congratulate Niall on this appointment and look forward to working together during what will be a very busy period for the BOA.”
Mike Whittington, Director of High Performance, sportscotland institute of sport, said: “We are delighted that Niall’s expertise and commitment to high performance sports medicine has been recognised through this appointment.
“The collaboration between the BOA and the home country institutes of sport ensures that Team GB athletes and staff can be confident that they have the best support possible, not only during Games-time but in the preparation phases too. We are proud to play our part in the team behind the team.”