The Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) has appointed Dr Dominic O’Dowd as Athlete Performance Director for its High Performance Academy (HPA) – a move that adds experience from a range of elite sports to the development of the UK’s most promising motorcycle sport riders.
The ACU High Performance Academy launched in February, and the first cohort of motocross riders has now started training. The programme is designed to support riders competing at the top level of domestic competition and prepare them for the demands of international motorcycle sport through a structured development programme delivered by experts, including the performance team at Loughborough Sport.
Dr O’Dowd is a Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon specialising in the treatment of paediatric and young adult sports injuries at Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Rotherham District General Hospital.
His experience in elite sport includes roles with the Football Association’s England youth teams, three seasons as a Club Doctor at West Ham United, three seasons as the Club Doctor at Blackpool Football Club, and five years as a Doctor to the British Superbike Championship. He currently works alongside the FIM’s Medical Commission delivering injury surveillance expertise.
Dr O’Dowd will manage the High Performance Academy’s medical science and athlete performance requirements. This includes setting training and recovery criteria, supporting riders’ lifestyle management, monitoring athlete development and providing structured feedback to both riders and their parents.
He said: “Performance is often measured via the bike, but not necessarily in the athlete. Whatever their discipline, motorcycle sport riders are high-performance athletes and their training and recovery regime should reflect that.
“I’m proud to be invited to help deliver this programme because there’s nothing else like it in the sport. It is exciting to work at the grassroots level and see genuine success as riders progress on their development journey. Many other sports are developing athletes with great distinction and there are lots of good insights I can bring to the ACU and its High Performance Academy.”
ACU Chief Executive Officer Matthew Edwards-Wear said bringing insights and learnings from outside motorcycle sport is a key part of the Academy’s long-term vision.
“The High Performance Academy is about developing riders as complete athletes, and that means looking outside of our sport and taking learning from other environments where high-performance systems are already well established.
“Dominic’s appointment is an important step for the programme. His experience across multiple elite sports will be invaluable as we work to develop the UK’s world champions of the future.”
Drew Stock, Lucas Moncrieff and Hayden Statt are the riders that have recently been inducted into the High Performance Academy for the motocross discipline. ACU Motocross Academy Senior Coach Stephen Sword is leading that particular programme and is being supported by multiple British champion Tommy Searle.