Jon Mackey named as Canoeing Ireland high performance director

Canoeing Ireland has chosen Jon Mackey to head up its high performance programme. Mackey is the training and development officer for the sport and is also a national coach for Kickboxing Ireland, whose junior team finished fourth in the medals table at the junior World Championships in Italy in September. He is studying for a Masters degree in coaching science in sport at University College, Dublin.

There are multiple disciplines in canoeing, with sprint and slalom having an Olympic platform. Ireland has had success internationally in recent years but has not had a high performance director. The outgoing chief executive, Paddy Boyd, has been working with others in the sport to give paddlers a similar standard of support as that enjoyed by competitors in other Olympic and Paralympic sports.

“I am really delighted that we addressing this important area of our sport,” Boyd said. “There is undoubted paddling talent in Ireland, borne out by recent results. It is incumbent on Canoeing Ireland to provide the support for our ambitious young athletes.”

Mackey said: “I am very much looking forward to working with the athletes, coaching staff and discipline committees within Canoeing Ireland.”

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He added that 2018 had seen good results across a number of disciplines. “We have a team with huge potential and I look forward to working along side them as we endeavour to make our mark on the European, world and Olympic stage.”