Female coaches from UK course join 2024 Olympics

Since 2021, the Wish programme has produced 123 graduates in elite coaching

Thirteen of the elite women coaches at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have followed a first-of-its-kind programme led by a UK university.

The Women in Sport High Performance Pathway (Wish) is led by the University of Hertfordshire in co-ordination with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Movement stakeholders.

The international programme aims to get more women interested in becoming elite coaches.

At the previous games in Tokyo in 2020 only 13% of coaches were women.

Women in Athletics points out this is low compared to the statistic that 48% of athletes who competed at the event were women.

Elizabeth Pike, director of the Wish programme, explained it aimed to make "women coaches more visible and provide role models".

"The Paris Games are going to be the first time ever that it's been 50:50 as men and women as athletes," she said.

"That just shows how much catching up there is to do for women to transition from being an athlete to being a coach if that's their chosen career pathway."

The course includes a residential week at the University of Hertfordshire

The 21-month course includes a residential week at the Hatfield-based university and last week 28 women from 24 countries graduated from the programme.

Olympic archer Naomi Folkard will be making her debut as a coach with the British archery team in Paris.

She said: "I arrived feeling apprehensive but gradually during the residential week in Hertfordshire, I gained in confidence and learned.

"My biggest takeaway from the week was the core teaching model which I am living totally in my everyday coaching."

Elizabeth Pike said the UK was ready to help make "changes to the structures and values" of global sport

Ms Pike praised the "world class sport facilities" at the university.

She said the course helped connect aspiring coaches with mentors

"I would say the UK is in a really pivotal position for making the changes to the structures and values of sport globally, and [Hertfordshire] is right in the heart of that," she said.