Aquatics coaches added to UK Sport’s new female coaches leadership programme

Swimming and diving coaches have been named as part of UK Sport’s new female coaches leadership programme.

A total of 27 coaches from 15 sports have been selected, with eight of those leading the programme.

Two of those coach leaders are British Swimming’s Mel Marshall, who coaches reigning Olympic champion Adam Peaty, and Jane Figueiredo of British Diving.

Figueiredo, who is now the High Performance Centre Head Coach at the London Aquatics Centre, coached Tom Daley to medals at both Olympic and World Championship level.

Scottish colleagues Jenny Leeming, Edinburgh Diving Club’s Diving Performance Coach, and Danielle Brayson, Assistant Head Coach at City of Glasgow Swim Team, have been named as part of the 19 participating coaches.

The programme comes as part of a wider plan to more than double the representation of female coaches in the Olympic and Paralympic high-performance community by Paris 2024.

In an interview with UK Sport, Figueiredo revealed that she is looking forward to passing on her wisdom to other female coaches.

She said: “I’m so humbled and honoured to be a part of this UK Sport leadership programme, aiming to add increasing representation of female coaches in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“This programme speaks to my passion for mentoring and helping female coaches in all sports realise their dreams of coaching at the highest levels.

“I can’t wait to have a positive influence with the female coaches and share my knowledge and experience with them, so they may someday be at the top of their profession.”