Hilary Atkinson has been appointed as the London 2012 Organising Committeeís Competition Manager for Badminton.

Hilary will be responsible for all the planning, organisation and management of the Olympic Badminton event, with the finals taking place in Greenwich.

On her appointment, Hilary said: ìI am looking forward to joining the team at the London Organising Committee and working alongside the stakeholders, partners, volunteers and officials involved in the sport.  I am delighted to have been offered the opportunity to deliver a world class Badminton event at the London Games which I hope will inspire the next generation of young badminton players, showcase the sport and provide a platform for the athletes who have dedicated their lives to training to compete in the worldís greatest sporting event.î

Stuart Borrie, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Secretary General, said: ìHilary will make a significant contribution to our sport and the delivery of Badminton at the London Games.  We are looking forward to working with her and the London Organising Committee to ensure new benchmarks in showcasing the sport at the highest level.  With Beijing 2008 just around the corner, the BWF is very pleased to see this forward planning and the completion of this important milestone towards London 2012.î

Anne Smillie, Chief Executive of BADMINTONscotland said: ìI am thrilled to be able to offer my congratulations to Hilary. This is a fantastic opportunity, and her appointment is richly deserved. The staging of such a large scale event is a challenging mission, but with Hilary at the helm, the Olympic Badminton event will be an outstanding success.  She brings a wealth of sporting experience to this role, having been involved with the sport nationally and internationally for the past ten years.î

Hilaryís key responsibilities include the overseeing all aspects of the Badminton competition and to be the focal point for liaison with the BWF. She will ensure that the competition is organised in accordance with BWF rules, the International Olympic Committee Charter and the Host City Contract. Hilary will liaise with other functional areas to ensure the coordinated delivery of support services such as accreditation, venue operations, medical services and volunteers.

Hilary will travel to the Beijing Olympic Games to see what lessons can be learned from the Badminton event there and will take up her post full time in mid 2010.

Educated at Hutchesonsí Grammar School and University of Glasgow, Hilary currently holds the position of Coaching & Events Manager for BADMINTONscotland.

Hilary has acted as Assistant Director for the 2007 Sudirman Cup World Mixed Team Badminton Championships, driven forward the implementation of the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate for badminton in Scotland and has assisted the Badminton World Federation to run its inaugural Event Organisers ' Seminar in Jakarta this May.

Her previous roles have included being a member of the Sports Presentation teams for the Manchester 2002, & Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, announcing/match control at the Yonex All England Championships since 2001, Assistant to the Sport Director at the 2000 World Corporate Games, volunteer roles at 2003 & 1997 World Badminton Championships and various other sporting events

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100 or visit the website at www.london2012.com