Paul Stannard steps into the breach as head coach of British Rowing's men's Olympic squad with medals the aim
BySportsbeat
Updated 05/01/2022 at 13:44 GMT
Men's sculling has been an oft-forgotten discipline in British rowing but promises to be front and centre of Stannard's plans. "The quad's silver medal in Tokyo was fantastic and I look forward to working with the coaches and support staff to help our talented athletes continue to win medals for Great Britain and themselves in the years to come."
A portrait of Paul Stannard a member of the Great Britain Olympic team during the Team GB Kitting Out ahead of Rio 2016 Olympic Games on June 26, 2016
Image credit: Getty Images
The latest coaching reshuffle at British Rowing sees sculling supremo Paul Stannard appointed as head coach of the men's Olympic squad.
Stannard orchestrated the most successful Olympics for British men's sculling since 1948, with the quad of Harry Leask, Angus Groom, Jack Beaumont and Tom Barras winning silver in Tokyo.
He now assumes full control of the men's sweep and scull stables with the interim 'lead coach' structure, that saw the team through to last summer's Games, making way.
Stannard had been the lead coach for men's sculling under the interim structure, designed by Director of Performance Brendan Purcell who left the sport under a cloud in October. The other lead coaches had been Steve Trapmore (men's sweep), James Harris (women's sweep) and Paul Reedy (women's sculling).
"In my interview for my first World Class Start role back in 2003 I stated that my main motivation for the job was to help British athletes win medals on the world stage," said Stannard.
"The quad's silver medal in Tokyo was fantastic and I look forward to working with the coaches and support staff to help our talented athletes continue to win medals for Great Britain and themselves in the years to come."
It is the first major appointment made by Louise Kingsley, Purcell's replacement in the Director of Performance role, who most recently worked as deputy director of Tom Dyson's very successful Paralympic programme. She is the first woman to lead the performance arm of British Rowing since the advent of Lottery Funding.
Kingsley said: "I am absolutely delighted to see Paul step up into the new Head Coach role, he beat a strong field of internal and external candidates.
"Paul's leadership of a programme has grown significantly in the past 12 months while he has been Interim Lead Coach for Men's Sculling. I am excited to see him work with the wider squad to deliver world-class performances, evolve a contemporary performance culture and stay actively connected to the pathway."
The governing body are still seeking a head coach for the women's squad, facing a huge transition into the Paris 2024 cycle. There is a leadership vacuum among the athletes in the group with senior sculler Vicky Thornley retiring in November and Helen Glover ruling out a tilt at a fourth Games.
The very role of a women's head coach role has been resuscitated after Jurgen Grobler assumed the role of Chief Coach for both men's and women's squads in the lead-up to Tokyo 2020, where Team GB failed to win an Olympic gold for the first time since Moscow 1980.
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