UKA turns to professor in effort to raise bar
By John Goodbody
BRITISH swimming has been revolutionised by the stern attitude and intense application of Bill Sweetenham. UK Athletics (UKA) may well undergo a similar transformation with the appointment yesterday of Professor Dave Collins as its new national performance director.
Steve Backley, who was advised by Collins for the last eight years of his javelin career, said yesterday that Goldie Sayers, the javelin thrower, had phoned him to express her delight at the news. She told Backley: “He does not faff around. He gets things done.” Backley said: “I thought, ‘That’s it.’ That summed it up.”
After a worldwide search conducted by Whitehead Mann, the headhunting firm, Collins has been entrusted with the task of leading the sport towards the 2008 Beijing Olympics from March 7, when Max Jones, who has held the post for the past seven years, retires.
Collins gave warning that athletes would be expected to follow their agreed training and competition schedules. Taking part in Grand Prix events would depend on the exact circumstances and competitors would be asked to examine whether their performances in leading championships would suffer from their participation.
“I would like to see a circumstance whereby we sit down and have very clear negotiated performance plans with athletes,” Collins said. “World class for me is typified by preparation and planning.”
Collins accepted that there may be fewer elite performers than hitherto as Great Britain struggle against the representatives of 200 competing nations in the Olympic Games and World Championships. He recognised the concern that for the first time Britain did not win any medals at the World Junior Championships this year. However, he saw this situation as a challenge, while pointing out that Britain got 11 competitors into the top five of their events in Athens and won three gold medals.
He said that there was “perhaps not the stellar rapid acceleration of someone such as Steve Backley when he came into international athletics. I would like more. But I can’t go to Barcelona and buy a few players”.
Asked whether he ought to be judged on performances by the 2008 Olympics, he replied: “I think you could expect to see process changes within two years. There is some excellent practice going on in Britain. The last thing is to go in and snuff it out.”
The role of Collins will not be to coach competitors, for which he recognises that he is not qualified, particularly in such a diverse sport as athletics, where experts in one discipline are often inadequate in another. Instead, he will be working with the coaches to ensure that competitors are fulfilling their potential.
Asked if he understood that people often had strong reactions to him, he said: “If I remember my chemistry lessons from school, catalysts always get a strong reaction. I see my appointment to encourage change, to facilitate change.”
British Swimming has had a fascinating past four years under Sweetenham. Now UKA is set for an equally interesting, and perhaps controversial, future.
CV FOR SUCCESS
A former Royal Marine and PE teacher, has worked with athletes as a sports psychologist for ten years.
Has worked with the Britain speed skating and skeleton bobsleigh teams.
Worked with England rugby team from 1989 to 1991.
Played rugby at regional level, American Football and competed at national level in judo and karate.
