David Jenkins: British diving coach died in Turkey, coroner says

David Jenkins was nominated for Diving Coach of the Year at the British Swimming Awards in 2018

A Team GB diving coach who worked with Tom Daley died in Turkey aged 31, a coroner's court has heard.

David Jenkins died on 9 October, coroner Andrew Walker told North London Coroner's Court on Thursday.

Mr Jenkins worked with Daley, a Great Britain Olympic gold medallist, and was part of Team GB's Tokyo 2020 Olympic training squad.

His family, from Barnet, watched the hearing via video-link and asked questions about the inquest process.

Mr Walker told them the court was waiting for the Foreign Office to receive police, post-mortem and toxicology reports from Turkey.

A member of the family asked whether the coroner needed to hear from people who were with Mr Jenkins at the time he died.

Mr Walker said it would be helpful if the family could provide a list of witnesses so the court could approach them for their accounts of the events leading up to Mr Jenkins' death.

Another family member asked to be taken through the process as it "would help us just to prepare ourselves emotionally".

Mr Jenkins played an "instrumental role" in the Tom Daley Diving Academy

Two days after Mr Jenkins' death, British Swimming released a statement on its website saying: "All our thoughts and condolences go out to David's wife, family and friends, and we please ask that their privacy, and that of the British diving community, be respected at this difficult time.

"We will be working closely with staff and athletes who have been affected by this awful news."

British Swimming said Mr Jenkins was the development lead coach for Dive London, overseeing the progress of the next generation of elite athletes at the London Aquatics Centre during his eight years involved with the diving programme there.

It added that Mr Jenkins had played an "instrumental role" in the Tom Daley Diving Academy, delivering lessons to thousands of children across the country.

He was also nominated for Diving Coach of the Year at the British Swimming Awards in 2018.

"He was extremely popular with all in the diving community due to his wonderful, friendly personality," the organisation said.

The coroner scheduled another hearing for 15 December.