Gary Ryan is new Director of CoachingJaqui Freyne takes up Director of Development Role Two-time Olympian Gary Ryan has been appointed Athletics Ireland’s new Director of Coaching. He takes overall responsibility for the preparation of all regional and national squads. The Tipperary native was previously the AAI’s Director of Development, a role that has now been filled by Jacqui Freyne. He takes up the role that was vacated by Stephen Maguire due to health reasons. Ryan retired from competition in August 2006. He is the current Irish 100m Champion and national record holder at 100m and 60m. The 34 year old, who was a member of the 2004 Irish Team that took bronze in the 4X400m relay at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest, will take up the role with immediate effect. “We have had great success over the past 18 months at an elite level. It is my job to ensure that we keep that continuity and build on it. I am aiming to improve the standard of the top ten Irish athletes in each discipline to ensure that we have more and more athletes making finals and competing for medals at major championships”, said Ryan after the announcement. Jacqui Freyne, who had previously been the Regional Development Officer for Athletics Ireland in Cork, Waterford, Tipperary and Kilkenny, will now take up Ryan’s former role of Director of Development. She will head up a team of six Regional Development Officers whose primary role is to promote the sport nationwide and increase participation through all ages. Freyne was a senior international athlete for 16 years and is a former national long jump champion. She worked as a sports development officer for the Waterford Sports Partnership before taking her role as Regional Development Officer with the AAI. The former PE teacher is a qualified athletics, hockey and rugby coach and has a long history of coaching at local and regional level. She is completing her Level 3 Athletics Coaching course and was coach of the Irish Team at the European Junior Athletics Championships in 2005 and the World Junior athletics Championships in 2006 in Beijing. CEO of Athletics Ireland Brendan Hackett believes both appointments are another huge step forward for the association. “Gary is one of the best athletes we have ever produced and was a model professional right through his career. He is exactly the type of person who can bring coaching in this country to the highest level. With Jacqui taking her role as Director of Development and the imminent appointment of a new Director of Athletics in the near future, it shows our ambition for the future of athletics in this country”, Hackett commented on the announcement.