The search is underway for the next generation of Olympic athletes with trials and heats to be held in Glasgow ahead of the 2028 games in Los Angeles.

Team Great Britain and Northern Ireland picked up 65 medals at the Paris Olympics this year with 14 gold, 22 silver and 29 bronze and attention has already turned to the next event in four years time. UK Sport, the nation’s high performance sport agency, has now launched a campaign to identify future Olympic or Paralympic stars from across the nation.

Find Your Greatness will target active and sport 16-24-year-olds in the UK, including those with physical, visual or intellectual impairments. Applications for the campaign are open until October 14 and they will be coming to Glasgow in search of the next stars.

A recent survey showed 39 percent of Brits aged 18-24 believe they could make Team GB at the LA Games in 2028 and this is now an opportunity for them to make it a reality. Previous UK Sport athlete recruitment campaigns have brought out huge success stories across the Olympics and Paralympics including rowing champion Helen Glover, skeleton gold medalist Lizzy Yarnold, taekwondo medalist Lauren Williams and Para-Canoe double champion Emma Wiggs.

The campaign is seeking young athletes in a range of disciplines including skeleton, cycling, rowing, modern pentathlon, weightlifting, climbing, shooting, volleyball, handball and all para sports.

Regional testing for Olympic sports will come to Glasgow in October, November and December while Paralympic testing is scheduled to take place in October, November and February.

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Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport, commented: “In my time as both an athlete and as Chair of UK Sport, I’ve been fortunate to witness the impact of athlete recruitment campaigns in discovering stars of the future, but also the wider value and skillsets it can bring to participants.

“The UK is a successful Olympic and Paralympic nation, and it’s through athlete recruitment campaigns like Find Your Greatness that we can stay relevant on the global stage. This campaign goes right to the heart of communities, providing opportunities for youngsters who may not have had a chance to experience these sports before, and encourages teachers, mentors and coaches to identify extraordinary talent. They really have a chance to be the catalyst for the youngsters to apply.

“I can’t wait to see the talent that we unearth throughout this campaign, and to follow them on their journey to greatness. There’s so much potential out there, we hope people have the drive and confidence to put themselves forward to see just how far they can go.”

The launch event was held in Salford and saw British athletes past and present tell their story of coming through these kind of programmes and how they have competed at the top level to make their dreams of becoming an Olympian or Paralympian become a reality.

Stephanie Peacock, Minister for Sport, Civil Society and Youth said: “Team GB and ParalympicsGB performances this summer will no doubt help inspire young people to take up sport, and this Government is working to improve opportunities so that our emerging talent has the best chance to succeed wherever they are from.

“Creating new, accessible pathways to increase participation is vital to our nation’s sporting future, so UK Sport's Find Your Greatness programme is a fantastic chance for the next generation to try new sports and see if they can become the next Keely Hodgkinson or Jonnie Peacock."

Ellie Aldridge, formula kite Olympic gold medalist at Paris 2024 added: “I owe so much of my success to athlete recruitment programmes like Find Your Greatness. When I applied in 2018, I never could have guessed the path that I was starting out on. Now, here I am having achieved gold Paris 2024.

“Every athlete has their own personal journey - who knows how far you can go and where you might be in six years’ time, but if you never take that leap of faith, you may never find out. Even if you don’t make it to the podium in an Olympics, the experience is so valuable - you can learn so much about yourself and what potential you have.

“I couldn’t recommend this programme more, so I urge those that think they have the potential or know others that do, to just go for it!”

You can find out more about the programme by clicking here.