Ryan Livingstone, Coach To Matt Richards & James Guy, To Take Up Lead Role At Manchester Performance Centre
Ryan Livingstone, coach of Olympic and world champion Matt Richards, has been appointed the new Aquatics GB Manchester Performance Centre Lead Coach.
Livingstone is currently based at Millfield School, south-west England, where James Guy and Richards’ fiancee Emily Large are also among the training group.
He will take up the inaugural role in September 2024 as the Manchester Performance Centre develops into a fully-integrated Paralympic and Olympic Performance Centre following Paris 2024.
The centre, which is situated at the Manchester Aquatics Centre, is currently a Paralympic swimming performance centre, having fostered the talent of numerous Paralympic and world champions over recent cycles.
Working under the overall direction of Aquatics GB Associate Performance Director Tim Jones, Livingstone’s new position as the Lead Coach in Manchester will see him working closely with Rob Aubry and Bill Furniss – the Head Coaches for Paralympic and Olympic swimming respectively – as well as Swim England’s Swimming National Technical Lead.
The Manchester Performance Centre will provide opportunities for identified Swim England performance athletes, both in its resident programme and as a hub to transition at an appropriate time.
Livingstone said:
“I’m really looking forward to working at the Manchester Performance Centre leading our Olympic and Paralympic athletes into the LA cycle. The integrated approach offers a unique and exciting prospect for all those involved. Manchester is fantastic city with a rich sporting heritage and is an optimal environment for those athletes looking towards Olympic and Paralympic success.
“For me personally it has been a long-term ambition to coach in the performance centre set-up and I am grateful for the opportunity.”
Matt Richards: Photo Courtesy; Morgan Harlow, GB Aquatics
The former Newcastle Swim Team head coach guided Richards to the 200 free title at the 2023 World Championships where he was also a member of the triumphant 4×200 free relay squad.
In an interview with Swimming World last year, Richards said:
“He’s exceptional, he’s like no-one else.
“His understanding and knowledge of the sport and the science behind what we do is pretty incredible.
“He’ll probably tell me off for singing his praises so highly but I think he’s the real reason why I’ve had so much success in the last year.
“I think the partnership between myself and him works really well because I’m very much a science-based athlete.
“I like to know what we’re doing and why and so having that partnership between the two of us works really well for me.”
Aquatics GB Associate Performance Director Jones added:
“This is a really exciting time for the Manchester Performance Centre as we look to further align our Paralympic and Olympic swimming programmes and ensure our athletes can get the maximum benefit from this collaboration – and we know that Ryan can play a pivotal role in that process.
“Manchester is a unique proposition for us in Britain, providing a complete pathway within the city with our Aquatics GB Performance Centre, Swim England’s investment into the City of Manchester Swim Team as a Talent Centre, a vibrant club swimming fraternity and excellent Learn to Swim provision. We will be working hard in the coming months to forge even stronger links with the key academic institutions within the city as part of our athlete support package.
“I have no doubt that Ryan’s outstanding qualities as a coach, alongside his proven track record at driving performance improvements in his athletes and his collaborative approach, makes him the right person to take Manchester the next big step forwards, across both our Paralympic and Olympic programmes with Aquatics GB, as well as working closely with the next generation of talent coming through the Swim England pathway. In the coming months we hope to see great interest from athletes wanting to be part of this journey post-Paris 2024”