Amanda Jayne Reddin OBE (born 6 June 1965),[1] née Harrison, later Kirby, is a gymnastics coach, and former Olympic gymnast, for Great Britain. Personal coach of many successful gymnasts, including three-time world champion and Olympic medallist Beth Tweddle, double Olympian Hannah Whelan and Olympian Jennifer Pinches. Reddin coached for many years at the City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club. She was Head National Coach for British Gymnastics until stepping down in May 2022 just weeks before an independent review into abuse in the sport. [2] [3]
Gymnastics career
edit1983 World Championships
editHarrison was a member of the Great Britain team, which placed 17th, in the 1983 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.[4]
1984 Olympics
editAt age 19, Harrison competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in women's artistic gymnastics for Great Britain placing 7th in the team competition and 22nd in the all around competition.[5]
Coaching career
editKirby began her coaching career in Brighton, but soon moved to Liverpool in 1992 to coach at the City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club in Toxteth, Liverpool.[6] Today, Reddin is a qualified FIG Brevet Coach and has coached at four Olympic Games (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012) and more than 10 World Championships.
In August 2020 Reddin agreed to temporarily step aside as Head National Coach at British Gymnastics while an investigation into claims about her conduct took place. [7] In May 2022, she permanently stepped down.[8]
Honours
editIn 2002, Kirby was named as UK Coach of the Year (jointly with Alex Stanton, coach to marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe).[9]
In 2004, Kirby was one of the winners in the 'Manager/Coach' category of the BBC North West Sports Awards [10]
In 2006, Kirby was awarded the Mussabini Medal in the UK Coaching Awards.[11]
In 2008, Kirby was nominated for the Unsung Hero award in The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards.[12]
She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to sport.[13]
The Amanda Kirby Trophy
editIn 2007, the Amanda Kirby Trophy was introduced in English Gymnastics (alongside the Beth Tweddle Trophy), in honour of her years of dedicated coaching and for producing a world champion (Beth Tweddle won the 2006 World Championships on the Asymmetric Bars). The award is made annually to the coach of the gymnast in the senior English gymnastics championships who scores the highest mark on the asymmetric bars.[14]
References
edit- ^ "Olympedia – Amanda Harrison". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Amanda Reddin appointed Head National Coach". British Gymnastics. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ "Team GB gymnastics coach Amanda Reddin quits before abuse review". TheGuardian.com. 26 May 2022.
- ^ "1983 World Gymnastics Championships Results - Women's Team Competition". Gym Forum. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
- ^ "Amanda Harrison Sports Reference Athlete Profile". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
- ^ "Amanda Kirby Woman behind world's best gymnast honoured". The Free Library. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ "Amanda Reddin: British Gymnastics head national coach steps aside amid claims about conduct". BBC. 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Amanda Reddin: British Gymnastics head national coach steps down with immediate effect". BBC. 26 May 2022.
- ^ "Stanton & Kirby share UK Coach award". UK Sport. 20 November 2002. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
- ^ "BBC North West Sports Awards". North West Regional Development Agency. 7 December 2004. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "The Sunday Times - Sportswoman of the Year Awards 2008 Nominations". The Sunday Times. 14 December 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2010.[dead link]
- ^ "No. 60367". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 13.
- ^ "English Gymnastics Fourth Annual Report April 2008". English Gymnastics. April 2008. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2010.