Paris 2024: Dr Ian Horsley on his fourth consecutive Games as a practitioner
Physiotherapy is one of the largest disciplines at the UK Sports Institute (UKSI), with 59% of its practitioners travelling to Paris 2024 this summer.
Dr Ian Horsley, Athlete Health Lead at the UKSI, is one of those individuals supporting Team GB in what will be his fourth consecutive Olympic Games as a practitioner.
We spoke to Ian about this achievement, his role with Team GB, and the work of the Physiotherapy team during the cycle.
Ian, what is your role at Paris 2024, and what will your responsibilities be?
I am one of eight physios supporting Team GB at their Headquarters in Paris. Before the Games, we will travel to Paris to set up the Performance Centre within the Athlete Village alongside supporting the prep camp and our external Performance Centre. I will also be the dedicated physio for BMX Freestyle and Weightlifting whilst supporting Rugby Sevens and Boxing.
This is your fourth consecutive Olympic Games as a practitioner. How proud are you of that achievement?
I’m incredibly proud and lucky to be selected for four consecutive Games. I remember reading a journal article as a student, which said the pinnacle for an Olympic athlete is going to an Olympic Games, and the pinnacle for a physio working in sport should be attending an Olympic [or Paralympic] Games. I made it my goal to get to the Games from that moment, which kickstarted with London 2012.
What are the biggest developments you have noticed in the Games time environment?
I believe the most impactful one was the introduction of a dedicated Performance Centre for Team GB, which started at my first Games in 2012. This introduction has coincided with our successful period in the Olympics, with it being replicated again at Paris 2024, so focusing on the performance environment is the biggest development I have seen.
How proud are you of the work put in by the Physiotherapy team during the cycle?
The day-to-day management of athletes from the physio team will enable them to excel at Paris 2024. People won’t see the work our physios put in during the years between each Games, but this work is vital to help athletes navigate the ups and downs to reach the start line. As I mentioned, it’s a massive honour to support an Olympic Games, but not all of our physios are here. We are standing on the shoulders of the practitioners, who have put thousands of hours of support in, enabling athletes to get to this point.
How does the Physiotherapy team operate during the cycle?
As I mentioned, we have physios who work alongside coaches and colleagues from other disciplines to support the day-to-day management of athletes. All UKSI physios have access to our Athlete Health Leads, who specialise in certain areas. For example, my role as Athlete Health Lead is in the upper limb. We are here to support the development of practitioners and help with complex problem solving, whether via a conversation or meeting to draw up a bespoke plan for an athlete to follow. We also put a lot of emphasis on practitioner learning and development, through mentorship, ESPA, our Elite Sport Physiotherapy Accreditation, and interdisciplinary learning events to ensure the team is constantly developing, which is a big draw for us at the Institute. There is a real team-orientated feel in Physiotherapy, which is a result of years of collaborative work put in across the discipline.
What are you looking forward to most about supporting Team GB at the Olympics this summer?
I’m excited to work with the team and get to know the new members during the Games. I also hope Team GB have a positive Olympics by continuing to build on the success of recent times. From a physio perspective, I hope we’re not too busy. That’s not from a lazy point of view, but I’m hoping there are no injuries outside the usual preparation and recovery work we do with athletes.
