International Olympic Committee Honors GB Diving Coach Figueiredo

Team GB diving coach Jane Figueiredo, who guided Tom Daley to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, has been presented with a lifetime achievement award by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The team secured five medals at the 2024 Paris Games, notably including Noah Williams and Tom Daley earning silver in the men’s 10m synchro event. Figueiredo, aged 60, has served as the GB head diving coach since 2014. She stated, “Coaching has been my passion since I was a young girl, and to receive this award is a dream come true.” Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Tom Daley commented on Figueiredo, saying: “Throughout the years she has taught me what it means to be a real professional athlete.” He added, “She has impacted so many people and not just me and my diving career, in and out of the pool.” Born in Zimbabwe, Figueiredo competed for Portugal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics before her time competing and coaching at the University of Houston. Ukrainian pole vault coach Vitaliy Petrov also received the award. His athletes have achieved 36 world records, six Olympic medals, and 21 World Championship titles. Petrov’s coaching career includes guiding prominent competitors such as Sergey Bubka and Yelena Isinbayeva. Petrov remarked, “I accept the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award with great pride, joy, and motivation to continue contributing to the development of the Olympic movement worldwide.” He further expressed, “I can only thank the athletes for the unforgettable moments I have lived with them and for the trust they put in me every single day.”