17 December 2008

Peter Eriksson has been appointed as the new UK Athletics Paralympic Head Coach. One of the world’s most decorated Paralympic coaches, he has coached athletes to win an incredible 119 medals at Paralympic Games since 1984.

At the recent games in Beijing, he coached wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc (Canada) to five gold medals, including three world records. It repeated Petitclerc’s medal haul from the previous Paralympics in Athens.

A former international speed skater, Eriksson competed for Sweden from 1963 until 1980, including finishing 10^th in the 500m at the 1977 World Championships.

At the conclusion of his competitive career, he moved into coaching where he worked in speed skating and ice hockey in Sweden in the early 1980s before moving towards athletics and onwards to Canada. He is a level 5 athletics coach and in 2004 he became the first Paralympic coach ever to win the “Coach of the Year” at the Canadian Sports Awards.

Eriksson’s remit will mirror that of incoming Head Coach Charles van Commenee. Eriksson will take responsibility for working closely with athletes who can achieve success at the 2012 London Paralympic Games, just as van Commenee will do so for the Olympic Games

Eriksson said: “This is an extraordinarily exciting and challenging time to be joining UK Athletics in the lead up to the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. The British athletics team has a tremendous heritage and – as was clear in Beijing – there is a fresh generation of talented athletes ready to step up and achieve huge success at the Paralympic Games.

“The standard of Paralympic athletics has never been higher and is continually improving at a rapid rate. Winning medals at London 2012 will be tougher than at any previous Games. However there is no greater incentive than a home Games, it is up to us to meet that challenge and ensure British athletes enjoy a hugely successful London 2012.”

Eriksson will be in post by February 2009.