As Performance Director for the Team GB Cycling Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Sir Dave Brailsford is credited as the driving force behind their incredible success. With a medal haul of 14 in Beijing, including eight gold medals, the team was one of the most successful in the games’ history. The success also brought Dave much acclaim, including the BBC Sports Personality of the Year – Coach Award. Dave Brailsford was noted for his innovative concept “marginal gains” which describes the principle as the idea that if you broke down everything you can think of that goes into cycling, and then improved it by 1%, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together.
With a medal haul of nine in London, including seven gold medals, Team GB were one of the most successful teams in the games’ history. Their medal haul of fourteen at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 brought Dave much acclaim, including the BBC Sports Personality of the Year – Coach Award.
Dave speaks about the importance of focus, motivation and marginal gains, and how leaders must deal with different people and their reactions to success and failure.
Brailsfords approach involves the constant measuring and monitoring of key statistics such as cyclists power output, and training interventions targeting specific weaknesses as well as looking at traditional components of success such as physical fitness and tactics.
As well as being an outstanding leader, he brings a blend of sporting and business acumen, which he has utilised to lead and develop the British Cycling team into one of the most respected and successful Olympic Programmes across all sporting disciplines.
The launch of the ambitious Team Sky venture in association with BSkyB was a massive stage in Dave’s career. He was appointed Team Principal, guiding Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome to consecutive Tour de France victories. He was knighted in the 2013 New Years Honours List.
