UK Coaching Awards 2024
Great Coaching Moment of the Year – 2024
Trevor Painter : Keely Hodgkinson Turns Silver into Gold : Sensational victory in blue riband event helps 800m runner join an elite club .
Keely Hodgkinson made history by becoming the tenth British female Olympic track and field champion , the third British woman to win the 800 metres title , and the first since Kelly Holmes achieved the feat in Athens 20 years ago . This after finishing second in the last Olympics in Tokyo as a 19-year-old , and at successive World Championships .
Trevor Painter is the coach whose vision and dedication has shaped Keely ’ s path to success . Trevor runs the M11 Track Club in Manchester with his wife , retired Great Britain 800m runner , Jenny Meadows .
“ I just feel I have the best team around me ,” said Keely in her post-race interview . “ Sometimes I feel I see them more than my own family ! They have so much self-belief in me , and we have created something really special . It is a ‘ we moment ’. We did this .”
As the hot pre-race favourite , Trevor faced the challenge of managing the immense pressure on Keely ’ s shoulders . He helped instil a steely resilience and fuel her already burning desire , which all came to brilliant fruition in the final as Keely ran a wellcontrolled and tactically judged race .
Two more of Trevor ’ s athletes won Olympic medals : Georgia Bell ( 1500m bronze ) and Lewis Davey ( 4x400m bronze ).
Adam Elliott : Alex Yee ’ s Race of a Lifetime : A comeback for the ages in thrilling climax to the men ’ s triathlon .
When Adam Elliott was crowned High Performance Coach of the Year at last year ’ s UK Coaching Awards , Alex Yee MBE paid a heartfelt tribute to his British Triathlon coach . Alex reminisced , “ My fondest memory is seeing him after the Olympic Games , when I won silver , with a tear in his eye because he just loves what he ’ s doing .”
This emotional connection underscores the profound impact Adam has had on Alex ’ s career . And one can only imagine Adam ’ s reaction witnessing Alex ’ s unforgettable , once-in-a-lifetime ‘ phoenix moment ’ as he clinched Olympic triathlon gold on the iconic Pont Alexandre III in Paris .
Simply stating that Yee overtook leader Hayden Wilde of New Zealand with 400 metres to go in the final run leg doesn ’ t , in any way , shape , or form , do the moment justice . From the heartbreaking brink of defeat to the triumphant peak of victory , it was a sensational comeback .
Alex summoned a force from the depths of his being , a testament to the indomitable spirit forged in those gruelling but essential sessions with Adam at the Loughborough High Performance Centre . Adam ’ s expert coaching and relentless dedication have been instrumental in shaping Alex into the champion he is today .