Chris Jones Receives European Athletics Coaching Award

Chris Jones received the European Athletics Coaching Award in recognition of his contribution to athletics through excellence in coaching in 2011. The award was presented by the CEO of Athletics Ireland John Foley and the Chair of Coaching and Development Jim Kidd at the Crown Plaza Hotel on Wednesday, 13th of June.

Jones guided Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) to success at the 2011 European Cross Country Championships in Velenje, where Britton won the senior women's title for the first time. It is on the basis of this performance that Jones was selected for the award.

Chris Jones commented "It is an honor to receive any type of award. I would like to thank the Institute of Sport, Athletics Association of Ireland and the Irish Sports Council for all the support they have provided Fionnuala. The application and determination displayed by Fionnuala over the past 18 months has been a pleasure to see"

This is the first year of the European Athletics Coaching Awards as European Athletics recognize the important contributions made by coaches to the sport of athletics.

European Athletics Director General Christian Milz said "I am delighted that this award has been created. It is hard to overstate the importance of coaches to our sport at the elite and grass roots levels and it is the role of European Athletics to recognise excellence in this field."