29 January 2010

The world of athletics is today mourning the loss of one of its outstanding coaches, Wilf Paish, 77, who died peacefully after a long illness.

As the coach to some of Britain’s greatest athletes, including Tessa Sanderson, Peter Elliott and Mick Hill, Wilf had a global reputation for his technical insight and was at the forefront of technical development and coaching theory throughout his career.  He influenced and mentored many of today’s coaches who will continue to benefit from his wisdom into track and field athletics through his numerous books and coaching manuals.

His influence will be missed abroad too; he was a leading coach in South Africa for many years during a period of major change in the sporting landscape post apartheid. So you really can say that his influence in athletics and sport in general will be sorely missed.

UKA’s Head of Coaching and Development Kevin Tyler paid tribute to Paish; “Wilf’s reputation is a global one and I knew of his expertise and reputation prior to arriving here at the UK. He was an innovator and has played a significant role in the development of today’s coaches. He will be missed by the whole athletics community.”