The 39-year-old competed as part of the British cycling team at the Sydney and Athens Olympics, and was regularly ranked in the world's top ten.

 

She also represented Britain at triathlon and has been working as a performance advisor at Government agency UK Sport.

 

Symington said: "This is a really exciting challenge, and I am looking forward to working closely with all those staff and athletes within the performance unit to deliver medal success at 2012 and beyond."

 

She has also worked as a business manager for Zurich Global Insurance, a Police Officer and National self defence instructor for Nottinghamshire Police, and lecturer.

 

She said: "I will be working alongside the coaches, and my contribution will involve strategic planning and performance processes, performance conditioning, organisational structure, team building, and business principles - but all the time not forgetting that the elite archers are top class athletes, so it will involve understanding their needs, and helping to get the best out of them.

 

"To that end, I will be working closely with Peter Suk, Tim Hazell, and everyone at the Performance Unit, to make sure that our archers can continue to assert themselves at the highest level of competition, and hopefully moving up to even higher levels of performance, consistency and achievement."

 

Her appointment followed an extensive search and interview process, and Archery GB chief executive David Sherratt is delighted by appointment.

 

He said: "She comes highly recommended by everyone who has worked alongside her.

 

"Sara is an achiever at the highest level, she knows what it takes to reach the top, and stay there, and has some fantastic ideas for the continued development of our international archers.

 

"She is also wonderfully enthusiastic, and I have no doubt that will rub off on everyone who works alongside her. I hope this is the start of a long and successful relationship with Archery GB."

 

Britain's archery team failed to win any medals at last summer's Beijing Olympics, but fared better at the Paralympics with four medals, including golds for John Stubbs and Danielle Brown.

 

The archery competition in 2012 will be staged at Lord's cricket ground, a world famous sporting venue.