Schmid steps down as British Skeleton performance director

Schmid has been part of the programme since 2001 and is stepping down after 17 years during which he has been at the heart of the team's success in the last five Olympic cycles.

During that time, Britain have won seven Olympic medals, including Lizzy Yarnold's double gold in Sochi and PyeongChang, where Laura Deas and Dom Parsons also won bronze medals.

And Schmid, who was a world champion slider for his native Austria, expressed his gratitude to all of those who have been part of the team along the way.

"It has been a real privilege to serve British Skeleton and its people but now is the right time for me to step back and let someone else drive the team forward to the next Olympics in Beijing," said Schmid.

"I have had so many highs here and have so many happy memories of the people and the performances. Winning medals for the country at the Winter Olympics are obviously stand out moments but I'm equally proud of the team spirit and the culture we have built here. People genuinely look at the programme as an example of how to generate success and the whole team here should be very proud of that.

"I was given the opportunity to help build up something special from scratch 17 years ago but the things the team have achieved have gone beyond my hopes and expectations. We have won medals at every level, seen clean sweeps of the podium in international races and earnt the respect of all the other nations on the circuit and I’m pleased I was able to play my part in that.

"I will be forever grateful to Simon Timson, who was PD when I was asked to join the programme in 2001. The invitation came as a surprise but it was a huge honour. Simon showed a great deal of faith in me on the back of my career as an athlete and from my time in Austria. There was next to no budget and we had to build everything up right from the very bottom but, although we had next to no funds, we had the freedom to shape the programme the way we wanted to. We now have a programme that has a history of success and is home to some exceptional sliders.

"It has been a real pleasure to have worked with so many talented and hard-working athletes and staff who have all shared the same dream of making British Skeleton so successful. I have always felt fully supported during my time with the team and I hope they have felt the same way about working with me.

"Finally, I want to thank everyone who has made my time with British Skeleton so memorable. There are simply too many to mention here but special thanks must go to UK Sport, the English Institute of Sport and the British Olympic Association, plus all our other partners, who have supported me throughout the journey. The biggest thanks of all has to go to the athletes and staff, though: the passion and commitment of these people is truly amazing and I see no reason why they cannot build on their success for years to come.”

The plaudits have come thick and fast for Schmid since the announcement, with British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Chairman Christopher Rodrigues leading the way.

He said: "Andi's contribution to skeleton in this country has been nothing short of outstanding. He has been at the heart of a hugely successful – and remarkable – journey and we have so much to thank him for.

"He has developed and nurtured a winning culture like nothing ever seen before in British winter sport, with his incredible success at Olympic level just the tip of the iceberg. To have played a key part in so many Olympic medals, plus hundreds more across the international circuit, is simply staggering, especially for a nation without an ice track.

"And it is not just on the ice where Andi has had such a huge impact: his honesty, integrity and empathy have continually shone through in his relationships with both his staff and his athletes and he leaves an indelible mark on the programme.

"Given his international standing and his efforts in securing Olympic re-integration in 2002, it is not an exaggeration to say that the sport of skeleton as a whole would be in a very different – and much poorer – place without Andi's contribution."

UK Sport Director of Performance, Chelsea Warr, added: "On behalf of everyone at UK Sport I would like to congratulate Andi on the incredible job he has done as Performance Director for the British Skeleton Team.

"Under Andi's leadership, our skeleton athletes, coaches and support staff have achieved unparalleled success on the world stage. This includes winning medals at the last five Winter Olympic Games including those three podium places at PyeongChang 2018 through the phenomenal performances of Lizzy Yarnold, Laura Deas and Dom Parsons."

Sportsbeat 2018