Team GB coach Malcolm Brown wins IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award

Triathlon coach Malcolm Brown MBE has been crowned winner of the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland this evening.

The prize is awarded annually to one male and one female coach for their outstanding contributions to Olympians’ lives and to the Olympic Movement.

Co-founder of the Leeds Triathlon Centre, Brown coached the multi-Olympic medal winning Alistair and Jonny Brownlee from the dawn of their careers, as well as guiding Vicky Holland to become the first female triathlete in history to win an Olympic medal for Team GB. Before moving into triathlon, Brown spent 25 years coaching endurance runners, working with the likes of Dame Kelly Holmes and Paula Radcliffe, and in 2013 was awarded an MBE for services to triathlon and sport.

Nominated for IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award by Jonny Brownlee, Brown was selected by a panel appointed by IOC President Thomas Bach and composed of two IOC Members from the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission; Sergii Bubka, the commission’s Chair; and two members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

Malcolm Brown said, "It is a fantastic honour to receive the IOC Lifetime Achievement Coaches Award. My sincere thanks go to the IOC for the Award, to Jonny Brownlee for the nomination, to my family for the many years of unswerving support, to numerous individuals, and organisations, who facilitated my coaching and finally, to all the athletes who entrusted me with their sporting careers.

“Achieving Olympic success requires more than training, skill, science and technique. It requires belief and trust. It has been a privilege to receive that trust. I am pleased to report that the sport of triathlon in the UK continues to develop and remains in great shape as it prepares to meet with our competitors and colleagues in Paris 2024."

Jonny Brownlee said, “I nominated Malc because he has been the biggest influence on my career, and I think there will be a lot of people that would say the same.

“I started turning up at the track at 14 and Malc was ever present through to 2016, when I was 26. I grew up and changed through that period and the best thing about Malc was that he adapted with me; his style changed through the years, as did his understanding of the ever-changing requirements of triathlon.

“I will never forget those early years when Malc coached from the side of the track still wearing his suit from work, stopwatch in one hand and umbrella in the other. Malc was always there to give me words of wisdom whenever I needed it. After spending half an hour with him I believed I could win any race. I am delighted he is being recognised with this award – he deserves it!”

Sir Hugh Robertson, Chair of the British Olympic Association, said, “Malcolm Brown is an outstanding coach who has driven Team GB’s remarkable recent success in Olympic triathlon competitions. He combines great technical knowledge with brilliant people skills and always gets the best out of his athletes.”

Andy Salmon, CEO of British Triathlon, said: “I want to say a huge congratulations to Malcom for receiving such a huge honour,” Salmon said. “He has a long history in triathlon and was integral in some of the best British athletes winning medals at a number of levels of international competition including the Olympics Games.

“He has a legacy that doesn’t just include athletes but also the next generation of coaches who were impacted by what Malcolm has achieved.“