News: AMP collaboration boosts ice-champ's hopes

Technology developed in Rotherham is helping Britain's top ice-sport athletes in their quest for medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

South Yorkshire's Nicola Minichiello is already part of the current Two-Woman Bobsleigh World Champion pair, and her Olympic hopes are now being boosted by two companies at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham – Bromley Technologies Ltd and the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing (AMRC).

Bromley's Formula Ice programme gives the athletes technical support and equipment developed through its research and development programme to help them during this season’s qualification for February’s Vancouver Olympics.

But, in an example of the Park’s ethos, Bromley has also received support from other companies there. The latest is from AMRC apprentices, who have used their manufacturing and engineering skills to produce the latest sets of bobsleigh runners to come from the Bromley R&D programme for her use.

Bromley's chief operating officer, Mike Maddock said: "It's great that through our partnership with the AMRC we're able to provide Nicola with runners that will hopefully give her the edge over other competitors during the testing stage.

"The apprentices have been fantastic. Under the direction of training manager Paul Rigden and workshop manager Ashley Godbehere they have delivered to a very high standard and to the timescales demanded by the sport. The AMRC support has been invaluable."

The Bromley team has more than 50 years' combined experience in elite winter sport, aerospace technology, Formula One engineering and design with its equipment supporting athletes to win over 40 world-class medals, including Olympic Bronze and Silver.

In the skeleton bob, Shelley Rudman is the current Olympic Silver medallist and the only British medallist from the last winter games. Her partner, Professor Kristan Bromley, the company’s chief executive and co-founder with brother Richard, is the 2008-9 Triple Crown World Champion, also in the skeleton.

Bromley Technologies website
AMRC website
Rotherham

Images: Bromley