The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra is being transformed and rejuvenated by a $74 million redevelopment of its training facilities that will define a new era for Australian sport. For much of the last two years, the AIS campus in the Canberra suburb of Bruce has been a building site. New facilities have arisen, old buildings have been gutted and reconfigured, and container loads of specialist technology have been installed and finetuned. This burst of activity has been made possible by a $74 million commitment by the Australian Government in its 2002 Federal Budget. At the recent opening of the AIS Hub — incorporating the new Sports Science and Sports Medicine Centre — the Australian Government and Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Board were recognised for their commitment to, and support of, the long-term redevelopment of the AIS. As senior sports administrators are aware, Australia`s sporting success is under direct challenge from a combination of factors, including increased funding of elite sport in competitor countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany; better funding and targeting of niche sports in countries such as Japan and South Korea; emerging countries such as China and India; and Australia`s naturally small talent pool. This increasingly competitive international environment makes it vital for Australia to `sharpen` its edge in quality coaching, sports science, sports medicine and other support services, including state-of-the-art training and testing facilities.
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