Rowing sa国际传媒 has set adrift senior national team women鈥檚 head coach Dave Thompson just five months before the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
鈥淒ave has been released from his duties,鈥� said Rowing sa国际传媒 CEO Terry Dillon.
Reasons for the dismissal were not given. Dillon was asked if the move was performance related and answered: 鈥淚t鈥檚 an employment matter and I am not in a position to comment.鈥�
Thompson had rebuilt the Canadian program over the last three years on Elk Lake, along with fellow-Kiwi Dick Tonks on the men鈥檚 side, following the sa国际传媒鈥檚 fall to a single medal won at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
鈥淭his was a difficult decision but one that was made with very careful consideration,鈥� said Dillon.
sa国际传媒 has so far qualified six crews for the Tokyo Olympics, of which five are women鈥檚 boats that Thompson coached. Rowing sa国际传媒 hopes to qualify more boats at the last-chance Olympic qualifier May 22-24 at Lucerne, Switzerland.
Assistant coaches Michelle Darvill, Phil Marshall and Lesley Thompson-Willie will take over the women鈥檚 team heading into the Tokyo Olympics.
鈥淲e are not looking to bring in a new [head] coach at this time into this environment. We have a very talented coaching team moving forward and have a huge amount of confidence in it,鈥� said Dillon.
鈥淭here is always an element of not being sure how this will impact the team. But it creates an opportunity for these three coaches to step up and shine. It is a life-defining moment for them and the athletes. With this change to our coaching structure, our number one priority is ensuring our athletes, coaches and support staff have the optimal training environment in the lead up to the Tokyo and beyond.鈥�
Although boats have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, Rowing sa国际传媒 wants to assure internal competition for seats in those boats and will hold qualifying time trials next week on Quamichan Lake in North Cowichan, which will be the new home of Rowing sa国际传媒 post-Tokyo.
sa国际传媒 will take part in two World Cup regattas prior to the Olympics 鈥� May 1-3 in Varese, Italy, and the last-chance Tokyo qualifier May 22-24 in Lucerne 鈥� before its pre-Olympic camp in Sagamihara, Japan.
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