GBR’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Coaches: Marshall, Tigg, Hemmings, McNulty, Finck, Dale, Bates & Bircher

They've climbed mountains together - Mel Marshall and her charge Adam Peaty on high at a different camp earlier in the year - Photo Courtesy: Mel Marshall and Adam Peaty

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Great Britain Tokyo2020 Olympic Coaches Named

Mel Marshall and Steven Tigg, respective mentors to Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott, the two leading lights of the Great Britain team at the World Championships in Gwangju back in July, will spearhead a selection of eight Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games coaches.

Dave Hemmings, David McNulty, Jol Finck, Euan Dale, Lisa Bates and, for open water, Alan Bircher, complete the coaching line up set to work alongside Bill Furniss, head coach to Great Britain, at the Games in Japan next July and at preparation camps along the way.

British Swimming announced: “After a successful World Championship campaign over in South Korea this summer, Dave Hemmings, David McNulty, Jol Finck, Mel Marshall and Steve Tigg have all been named as coaches and will support the team both during the preparation camp, and on pool deck on competition days at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

“At the global championships in Gwangju each of the five aforementioned coaches enjoyed success with their individual athletes, as well as taking responsibility for relay quartets, with Mel Marshall and Steve Tigg helping to deliver gold and bronze in the Men’s 4x100m Medley and Mixed 4x100m Medley respectively.”

Dale and Bates add strength to the mentor mix. Dale, a former Britain international who took up coaching and has long worked with Millfield squad, claimed silver medals for Scotland in the 400m medley and 4x200m freestyle in 2006. He gained national-team coaching experience in Gwangju last July.

GBR Coaches Photo Courtesy: British Swimming

Bates, mentor to Commonwealth 400m medley champion Aimee Wilmott, already has Olympic experience, having performed the same role at Rio 2016.

In Open Water, Ellesmere College’s Alan Bircher, a former Britain international who claimed silver in the 5km at European Championships in 2004, will lead the way as the distance squad head for action at Odaiba Marine Park.

Of the coaching selections, British Swimming Head Coach Bill Furniss said:

“I would like to congratulate the eight coaches we are nominating to the BOA to work with our Olympic team. All have come through a tough selection process and proved their ability to deliver results in the performance arena. The early appointment of our coaching staff follows the pattern establish in the last Olympic cycle. The coaches will now be an integral part of team development activity as they build relationships with the athletes at camps and competitions in the lead in to the Olympic Games.”

As in Rio 2016, Chris Spice will serve as Team Leader in Tokyo, while Dawn Peart, her decades of experience in swimming to the fore, will serve once more as Team Manager.

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