In reply to Aaron jenkin:
Rowing successfully identified future Olympians through their sporting giants programme with Helen Glover winning gold in 2012, only four years after taking up the sport.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19081992
They identified key metrics, such as VO2 max and length of levers, and used those as an initial screen for future medal winners. Their whole process from newbie to Olympic gold was of course more complicated than that!
The BMC has been delivering a talent development programme since 2009, first with the national and regional academies and now with the development squad. We don't have a talent identification system akin to what rowing has done. Our sport is not alone in that either.
We do profile development squad members for technical, tactical and physical traits, to help them identify where their strengths and weaknesses are. Profiling is not used for selection.
Get in touch directly if you want to know more about what the BMC has done, and is doing.
Jon Garside
jon@thebmc.co.uk
0161 438 3329