Ohuruogu, who won gold in the 400 metres at the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008, and Williams, who stormed to victory in the bob skeleton at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010, launched the UK Talent Team initiative titled Power2Podium alongside sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and England Sevens rugby players Tom Powell and Heather Fisher.

The search targets sportsmen and women between the ages of 15 and 26 that possess the speed, power and the raw talent to potentially represent Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

"Finding the next generation of Olympic athletes is so important for the continued success of sport in Britain," said Ohuruogu, whose younger sister Victoria represented Britain at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last year.

"When I was growing up I loved playing lots of different sports and wasn't sure whether I wanted to play netball or become a sprinter.

"Schemes like Power2Podium will really help talented young people fulfil their sporting potential."


Williams, who was a Team GB Ambassador at the 2010 Youth Olympics, added: "I started my sporting career as a 400m sprinter and it wasn't until I was at university that I discovered that my real talent was in bob skeleton.

"Trying a new sport was both exhilarating and a great challenge and it is very exciting to think that the next generation of potential British sportsmen and women could be just a few tests away from uncovering their hidden sporting talent."

Power2Podium will use the latest sports science and technology, along with coaching expertise, to test sporting potential and look to uncover the next generation of athletes in the predominantly speed and power sports of athletics, rugby sevens, bobsleigh and skeleton, canoeing, sprint cycling and weightlifting.

It comes after the success a number of other UK Talent Team initiatives including Sporting Giants and Girls4Gold and since 2007, a total of 51 athletes across 15 sports have made 160 international appearances and won 54 medals, including eight world and three European Championships plus nine World Cup prizes.

Chelsea Warr, head of athlete development at UK Sport, said: "We are very excited about the potential of Power2Podium to uncover the sporting stars of tomorrow.

"We know that this approach to talent identification and development works and that there are people out there that have the potential to become an Olympian but they just don't realise it yet.

"Power2Podium provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to come and train under the guidance of world class coaches and specialists in British elite sport before hopefully one day pulling on a British jersey at the Olympics."

Applicants are now being invited to sign up here.

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