Emms backs new GB coach Wood to ring changes

By Liam Kennedy, Sportsbeat

GAIL Emms has backed former coach Andy Wood's recent appointment as the man behind Great Britain's badminton hopes at London 2012 and beyond.

INFLUENCE: Andy Wood, pictured right, talks with British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Hunt during a visit to the London 2012 Olympic Park last year. He has been appointed Great Britain's new badminton head coach (Getty Images)

Wood was instrumental in the career of Emms and former mixed doubles partner Nathan Robertson, guiding them to the Olympic silver medal in Athens, as well as golds at world, European and Commonwealth level.

But British players failed to progress to the latter stages of the recent World Championships in Paris with Rajiv Ouseph's third round defeat to top seed Lee Chong Wei the highlight.

"Andy Wood is a fantastic coach and had a massive influence on my career. I put a lot of my success down to him," said Emms.

"The set-up probably needed a change but I think Andy has come in at the right time to really sort things out.

"He will bring a lot of great qualities to the role. What he always taught me was to take responsibility for your own actions and that everything you do will impact on your health and your career.

"That will bring a maturity to the camp and will teach them to live a lot more disciplined life.

"Sometimes we can tell athletes how to live there lives but they don't always do that and he will bring added maturity.

"I'm backing him to bring about some huge changes and bring about some great results over the coming years."

However, Emms admits medals chances at a home Olympics might be thin on the ground - even joking that Robertson, who won mixed doubles at the European Championships with new partner Jennie Wallwork, might be 'too old'.

"The problem facing British badminton is the fact that the foreign competition is so strong," she added. 

"There is a huge dominance from the far eastern countries and it is very hard for young British players to get much of a chance at the major championships.

"I think Nathan has a chance of a 2012 medal in the mixed doubles but - he will hate me for saying this - they may be a little old."