Four British Olympic hopefuls, including Scottish weightlifter Peter Kirkbride, have been awarded Olympic Solidarity Athlete Scholarships by the International Olympic Committee to help them in their ambition to compete for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Peter Kirkbride will receive £1,000 financial support towards his training and preparation for Olympic participation. He also attended a workshop at the British Olympic Association (BOA) Headquarters in London last week where BOA Chief Executive and Team GB Chef de Mission Andy Hunt and BOA Director of Sport Clive Woodward spoke with him about how to make the most of his Scholarship award and the importance of competing in line with the Olympic Values of Friendship, Excellence and Respect.

Peter had shown his potential by winning a silver medal in the 94kg category at the recent Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Andy Hunt, BOA Chief Executive and Team GB Chef de Mission said:
“The Olympic Solidarity funding is a very welcome boost to the athletes concerned and will help to ensure that they have access to the necessary training and preparation on their journey to 2012. In the current financial climate, every little helps and we are pleased that the International Olympic Committee has agreed with our recommendation for these athletes to receive support.”