Paul Stannard nominated for UK Coaching Award

GB Rowing Team coach Paul Stannard has been named as a finalist in the Performance-Development Coach of the Year category at the UK Coaching Awards 2012.

Stannard was the coach who not only taught Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, gold medallists at the 2012 Games in the women’s pair, to row but also Vicky Thornley who took World U23 gold and then World Championships bronze in 2011 in the women’s eight before going on to qualify for the 2012 Games.

Stannard has been recognised particularly for his skills in managing groups of rowers, bringing them together as a team and managing their individual needs whilst giving them confidence in their own ability and to perform at a high level.

In the summer of 2012 Stannard coached the U23 GB men’s four to a bronze medal at the World U23 Championships before working with two of GB’s young, development crews in the men’s eight and pair which raced at the European Championships in September, reaching the A finals and finishing fifth and fourth respectively against Olympic opposition.

Earlier in the year, at the GB Rowing Team senior trials in March, he coached the pair of Constantine Louloudis and George Nash who finished third and were selected in the men’s eight and men’s pair respectively for the Olympic Games.

Stannard was based for some time at GB Rowing Team’s START centre at the University of Bath before moving to work with the national squads.

He faces opposition from the other short-listed coaches – judo’s Peter Blood and Barry Collie of gymnastics.

The Awards, sponsored by Gillette, take place at London’s Lancaster Hotel in a glittering ceremony on the evening of Tuesday November 20.