Wildwater Canoeing world champion Hannah Brown has been appointed as Canoe Sprint Podium Coach by Paddle UK.
Serving as an analyst during her racing career, Brown was appointed as Paracanoe Podium Coach in March 2022.
The 34-year-old was instrumental in Great Britain's stars topping the Paracanoe medals table at Paris 2024.
The Paralympics in France saw the British team finish first in the standings for a third consecutive Games with four golds and four silvers, double the number won by second-placed Brazil.
Four of those medals were from athletes she coached, including the sensational double gold from Charlotte Henshaw.
She will begin her new role in April with the National Federation set to start the recruitment process for a new Paracanoe Podium Coach soon.
“I feel incredibly privileged to have been successfully appointed to this role,” she told Paddle UK.
“I am confident that my experiences as an athlete and more recently as a coach have shaped a coaching style, a depth of knowledge and a way of working that can shift the direction of sprint canoeing within the UK, something that is incredibly close to my heart.
“I am excited to share my vision and I'm excited by the challenge of the role, helping to shape the future of the Canoe Sprint programme, and working alongside Anton and Sam, the athletes on the pathway and with the passionate coaches and paddlers in our clubs.
“I must thank the group of athletes and staff within the British Paracanoe team that has helped develop me and given me so much over this past cycle, without them I would not be the coach I am today.”
Paddle UK also made changes to their Canoe Slalom and kayak cross programme, with Tom Duggan appointed as the Performance Director.
A member of the National Federation's Performance Committee over the last two years, Duggan was performance director of Archery GB before.
“I'm honoured to be joining Paddle UK and the Canoe Slalom and kayak cross programme at such an exciting time,” he said.
“Having been involved in the Performance Committee for the past couple of years, I've seen and admired the success the programme has had and am excited by the huge potential it has.
“I'm looking forward to helping the team build on the foundations of success that have been put in place in the last cycle as we build towards qualification and performance in Los Angeles.”
Pictures by Hannah Brown and Paddle UK.
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