Van Commenee closer to UK job

Charles van Commenee, the Dutchman who guided Denise Lewis to her Olympic heptathlon gold medal four years ago, is emerging as a strong candidate to become UK Athletics’ new coaching supremo.

Max Jones, the sport’s current performance director, is retiring immediately after this year’s Olympic Games and highly-rated van Commenee is being tipped as his replacement.

Van Commenee has yet to officially announce his decision to move along the corridor from his present office as technical director for combined events and jumping to replace Jones.

But it seems highly likely he will apply for the top job once it is advertised worldwide at the request of last week’s study into the ‘Way Ahead for UK Athletics’ by Sir Andrew Foster.

“I’m happy in Britain and I’m not intending to leave the country,” said van Commenee, after returning to his Birmingham base from the Norwich Union Athens Preparation camp in Paphos yesterday.