Podcast: Coaching Voices with Peter Stanley - the former coach of Jonathan Edwards
The first of a new series of Coaching Voices podcasts from England Athletics is available to listen to.
This episode is in conversation with Peter Stanley who coached Jonathan Edwards, the world record holder in the men's triple jump, for nine years. In that time they won Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles together, with Jonathan famously jumping 18.29m in Gothenburg in 1995, a mark that remains unbeaten.
Peter, who got into athletics through his daughter, coached alongside a full-time job in civil engineering, before later working for England Athletics as Natinal Coach Mentor for Triple Jump, and UK Athletics as Head of Field and Combined Events until his retirement in 2020.
He talks to Tom McNab and Alex Seftel about his life experience as a coach, reflecting on what it meant to see Jonathan succeed, and discussing what he thinks should be done to improve the sport.
"I was very, very pleased. Proud to be British. Proud to be involved. But mostly, very pleased for Jonathan,"
says Peter. "People don't realise how much energy, effort - he would use the word sacrifice - I would say choices every athlete makes to be at that level."
"I think the most important thing was that it was for him. One of the good guys. It proves that sometimes the good guys can win."
Peter and Tom also talk about Ron Roddan, the former coach of Linford Christie, Katharine Merry and others, who sadly died in February. Ron shared a house with Peter at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 and was a staff coach during Tom's period as National Athletics Coach for the South of England.
"We spent many happy years at Crystal Palace," says Tom.
"Ron was a great friend of mine and a great loss to the athletics community. He always gave me far more credit than I deserved!"
Peter recalls:
"Ron Roddan, whilst we were in that house, was the first person to teach me how to iron a shirt!"
Listen
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6CKeDKRpJN1eUcrIQIWERC
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More
- Next episode will be with Tony Hadley, coach to Matt Hudson-Smith and Derek Redmond
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- Images by Mark Shearman