Athletics: Top coaches on their way to help Wales

Aug 11 2007 by Bob Cypher, South Wales Echo

TWO experienced coaches – one Welsh and one Swedish – have been brought in by Welsh Athletics.

Nigel Bevan was a Welsh javelin international from 1989 to 1998, and represented the principality at three Commonwealth Games.

He also represented Great Britain at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona and is the current Welsh record holder with a throw of 81.70m.

A qualified sports science lecturer and a UK Athletics tutor with a BSc from Borough Road and a MSC from Frostburg (Maryland, USA), he is leaving his post as head of PE at Finborough High School in Suffolk to take up the role in Wales.

Meanwhile, Bengt Blomkvist has been appointed as performance coach.

The ex-Swedish national hurdles coach will be joining the performance team based at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in Uwic’s Cyncoed campus on September 1.

In 1993, Bengt was selected together with a college to be responsible for the development of hurdles racing in Sweden and was responsible for the event group until 2004.

He was appointed national coach in 1996 and from 1996 has been team coach at all European, World and Olympic Games for both junior and senior teams.

During his time at a Swedish performance centre combining school and athletics, he started coaching athletes Susanna and Jenny Kallur.

Between 1997 and 2004, he was their personal coach taking them from talented young athletes to world class hurdlers.

A keen coach educator, Bengt has linked with coaches from around the world for many years exchanging ideas of how best to use information gathered from native coaches, foreign coaches, science and practical science.

His experience of working within a successful Swedish Athletics programme will in invaluable knowledge to share with coaches in Wales.

As part of the role, Bengt will also take on the position of national sprints coach and national hurdles coach.

echo.sport@wme.co.uk