Swimming coach Alan Bircher DROPPED from Team GB’s staff for Tokyo Olympics following investigation into safeguarding concerns at his elite club
Swimming coach Alan Bircher has been dropped from Team GB‘s delegation at the Tokyo Olympics after being suspended over welfare and governance issues.
Bircher ran the Ellesmere College Titans swimming club in Shropshire, where freestyle medal hopeful Freya Anderson used to train, and had been picked to lead Britain’s open water swimmers in Tokyo.
However, an independent review of the Titans was carried out from July 2020 to June 2021 following allegations from the parents of swimmers, including concerns about the weighing of young athletes.
Alan Bircher, a former world silver medallist in open water, ran a swimming club in Shropshire
Bircher has subsequently been suspended by Swim England and British Swimming have pulled the 39-year-old – a former world silver medallist in open water – from their Tokyo coaching team.
Swim England said in a statement: ‘Swim England was extremely concerned to receive notification of welfare issues from parents of swimmers at Ellesmere College Titans and on receipt of these notifications instigated a thorough independent review.
‘The report identified welfare and governance issues and immediately the review was concluded, Swim England implemented all the recommendations in the report to ensure a safe, supportive and positive environment for everyone in the club.
Swim England confirmed they have suspended Bircher following their investigation
‘The coaching staff will not return to the programme until such time as all conditions set out in the report have been met to the satisfaction of Swim England.’
British Swimming added: ‘British Swimming is supportive of the action taken by Swim England and, as a consequence of the review, coach Alan Bircher was not nominated to the Tokyo Olympic coaching team for 2021 and will not be part of the team at the Games.’