It will be a case of high fives when archer Alison Williamson continues her run of Olympic appearances at Beijing this summer – and her achievements have been hailed by none other than Dame Kelly Holmes.
The Church Stretton ace, who is a member of Long Mynd Archers, has represented Great Britain at four successive Olympic Games from 1992, famously winning a bronze in 2004.
And she will be hoping to add to that feat when she flies the flag again at a fifth Games in China in August.
Holmes, one of Britain’s most famous Olympians, was the first to pay tribute to Williamson’s achievements after she qualified following a tough selection procedure.
“Attending five Olympic Games is a fantastic achievement and I wish Alison the best of luck in her quest to add a second Olympic medal to her collection,” said Holmes, who herself won two middle distance golds at Athens in 2004.
“It is fantastic that the aspiring Olympians and Paralympians on this training programme have mentors like this that they can look up to and that both myself and Alison can share our valuable experience and help them achieve their dreams.”
Williamson, 36, was given the green light by the British Olympic Association to attend her fifth Olympic Games this summer after a rigorous selection process which ended at Lilleshall.
She was among four female archers vying for three Olympic places.
She entered the final qualifying event as the favourite after winning the previous Olympic qualifying event.
Success in the final shoot-off saw her selected alongside Naomi Folkard and Charlotte Burgess.
“I am delighted with my performance at the shoot-off and feel relieved that the selection process is over and I can now focus my thoughts and efforts towards Beijing,” said Williamson.
“I feel very honoured to think that I will have represented my country at five Olympic Games and I feel just as motivated now as I was when I went to my first Games in Barcelona back in 1992.”
Williamson added she had thoroughly enjoyed being part of Team B&Q, an official partner of the British Olympic Association.
“The aim of the programme is to encourage people of all ages to either have a go at something they have never tried, or take something they are doing to a different level,” she said.
“I hope that through sharing my sporting experiences both with the other team members and also the general public, I have shown them that dreams can become reality.”
Williamson has never finished out of the top 10 in the competition, with her greatest success coming in the 2004 Olympics where she earned a bronze medal.
