Melbourne's new combat performance centre to benefit Australia's elite Taekwondo and Judo athletes

The Combat Institute of Australia's National Performance Centre - located at Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium - will be officially opened tomorrow.

The opening of the Performance Centre - an athlete-centred performance facility for Australia's top Taekwondo and Judo athletes - will be attended by representatives from the Victorian Institute of Sport, CombatAUS, Australian Taekwondo and Judo Australia.

CombatAUS Chief Executive, Alex Vallentine, is excited about the concept of the National Performance Centre and believes there will be significant benefits for athletes through these co-located programs.

Vallentine explains "this centralised performance environment will maximise performance outcomes and deliver enhanced future international success for our Judo and Taekwondo programs.

"The establishment of this centre would not have been possible without the significant support from both the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and the Victorian Institute of Sport."

AIS Acting Chief Executive Matt Clements said the AIS was proud to support the formation and ongoing evolution of CombatAUS and advised “the AIS has supported CombatAUS from its foundation, it provides the opportunity for a stronger, collective approach to Australia’s combat sports and helps maximise performance potential.

“The AIS has just increased funding to CombatAus by 35% for the Paris 2024 Games cycle, which equates to more than $2.4 million a year through to the end of 2024. We complement this with additional funding to CombatAUS member sports for their pathway programs.

“This total investment is about helping to develop and support world-class athletes, and this facility is another important step in Australian sport’s vision to build sustainable success.”

Australian Taekwondo Chief Executive, Heather Garriock, is delighted with the ongoing development of Australia's elite Taekwondo athletes and what the opening of the National Performance Centre will offer.

Garriock notes "It's really pleasing to see a National Performance Centre come to fruition. Our high-performance athletes now have a place to train and access the support required to grow and develop.

"Seokhun Lee, Korea's former head coach, has recently been appointed as the National Coach for the taekwondo high-performance program, so we are very excited about the future potential of our athletes on the world stage. It's an exciting time for Taekwondo."

Judo Australia Chief Executive, Emma Taylor, echoed Vallentine's and Garriock's sentiments and is pleased to see the partnership between the three organisations continue to strengthen.

"It's exciting to have this opportunity for our elite judoka – a focused environment providing the best program to deliver world-class performing athletes. Our partnership with CombatAUS, together with Australian Taekwondo, has made our first ever national training program possible."

The National Performance Centre is located at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park, adjacent to the Victorian Institute of Sport, and supports Taekwondo's and Judo's full-time athletes.

CombatAUS, together with Australian Taekwondo and Judo Australia, provide contemporary technical leadership to ensure the strategic direction of both sports in Australia excels.

All three organisations are excited to see the benefits of the National Performance Centre to athletes as they prepare for the Paris Olympic games in 2024.   

CombatAUS is an innovative and collaborative partnership between the various combat sports and has allowed initiatives such as the National Performance Centre. A similar environment is being explored in Queensland for Boxing, in partnership with the Queensland Academy of Sport.

Australian Taekwondo is the National Sporting Organisation representing Taekwondo in Australia and is a recognised Member National Association of World Taekwondo, the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia. 

Judo Australia is the National Sporting Organisation representing Judo in Australia and is a member of the International Judo Federation, Australian Olympic Committee, Commonwealth Games Australia and Paralympics Australia. 

Image top: Combat Institute of Australia's National Performance Centre; Image above:Taekwondo's Jessica Borg. Courtesy Australian Taekwondo