British Cycling has completed its search for a new performance director, appointing Stephen Park, formerly the Royal Yachting Association’s (RYA) Olympic manager.
The role has officially been vacant since Dave Brailsford left the national federation to work exclusively with Team Sky in 2014, but the need for a new recruit arose from Shane Sutton’s resignation earlier this year. Sutton was promoted from head coach to technical director in the wake of Brailsford’s depature, but the Australian stood down in April in the midst of a sexism scandal.
Park, who will commence his role in the spring of 2017, has been the RYA’s Olympic manager for the past 15 years, helping bring in 23 medals across the Olympics and Paralympics and steering Britain to the top of the sailing medal table at this year’s Games in Rio.
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“I feel privileged and excited to be given this opportunity, and look forward to building on the high-performance culture at British Cycling,” said the 48-year-old in a statement from the governing body. “My role will be to lead the team, support the coaches and the wider staff to continue delivering successful programmes which enable the athletes to fulfil their tremendous potential.
“Clearly cycling poses very different challenges to sailing, but it’s a sport I am very passionate about from a personal perspective. I’m looking forward to meeting its challenges head on and working intensively with a highly motivated and experienced group of athletes, coaches and support staff.”
Park joins British Cycling at a troubling time for the governing body. As well as the sexism scandal, president Bob Howden and board member George Gilbert were summoned to Parliament this week to answer questions relating to the 'mystery medical package' delivered from the UK to a Team Sky doctor in France by Simon Cope, a BC employee. There were also allegations, made recently by Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, that tramadol was 'freely' handed around the team at the 2012 Road World Championships.
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