The GB Rowing Team have appointed Paul Stannard as their new Men’s Olympic Head Coach, following a two stage interview process. He takes the role with immediate effect.
Stannard has 18 years experience with British Rowing. He led the men’s sculling team to both the Rio 2016 Olympics and the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Tokyo 2020 saw the men’s quad of Harry Leask, Angus Groom, Tom Barras and Jack Beaumont win a historic silver medal, GB’s first ever Olympic medal for that boat class and the men’s double of Graeme Thomas and John Collins finished 4th making it the most successful Olympics for men’s sculling since 1948.
Photo GBR M4x Tokyo 2020
Credit Steve McArthur
“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. 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.” Said Stannard on his new role.
Paul’s first role with British Rowing was in 2003 when as a World Class Start coach he set up the highly successful talent ID centre in Bath. He was rewarded for his hard work and commitment to the sport by winning Performance Development Coach of 2012 at the Sportcoach UK Coaching Awards. He was also recognised with the Nick Broad Award for Emerging Talent for his work in the World Class Start Programme, which included identifying and developing Helen Glover, Heather Stanning and Vicky Thornley.
Louise Kingsley, Director of Performance for the GB Rowing Team 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”.
GB rowers were expecting both head coach appointments to be announced before Christmas. As the global game of coaching musical chairs comes to a close the recruitment for GB’s Women’s Olympic Head Coach is still ongoing.
The seven-person interview panel comprised of:
- Mark Davies, Chair, British Rowing
- Louise Kingsley, Director of Performance, British Rowing
- Catriona Semple, UK Sport
- Tom Dyson, GB Rowing Team Paralympic Chief Coach
- Constantine Louloudis, Olympic Champion
- Victoria Thornley, Olympic Silver Medallist
- Ann Redgrave, Chief Medical Officer, British Rowing
