Buckingham & Carroll Appointed to Performance Team
Triathlon Ireland is announcing two key appointments as part of its ambition to create a world class High Performance programme.
Mark Buckingham is coming on board as Triathlon Ireland’s National Programme Coach, while Ailbhe Carroll is set to take up the position of National Pathway Coach and Programme Co-ordinator. Both will start their roles in early 2023.
Triathlon Ireland CEO Darren Coombes welcomed the exciting appointments:
“Over the past 18 months, we have worked diligently on implementing the recommendations of the Sport Ireland Tokyo Review. We recognised that we had to undertake a systemic and cultural transformation within our High Performance Unit in order to keep pace with the highly competitive global triathlon circuit. We are enormously grateful for the support and guidance of our partners in Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland as we implemented these changes.”
Mr Coombes continued: “These latest appointments bring a real balance of skills and experience to the Performance staff team. In Mark Buckingham, we have recruited a World Class coaching practitioner to support our athletes. Mark has an extensive track record of global success, and his skillset, credibility and cultural fit with our team will be key as we embark on the qualification path to the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.
“We are also delighted to appoint Ailbhe Carroll to what is an exciting role witha long term vision for how we identify, develop and support our future elite athletes – we know there is huge talent out there for us to nurture towards LA2028 and beyond. Ailbhe is really well placed from both an athlete understanding and coaching perspective to drive this programme forwards, and we are indebted again to Sport Ireland for funding support for this role through its Performance Impact Funding Scheme .”
Road to LA2028
Triathlon Ireland High Performance Director Gordon Crawford says Buckingham and Carroll are outstanding additions to the Performance Team.
“Mark and Ailbhe will have an immediate impact on the performance pathway but also on the road to LA 2028. With them both as part of the team, we can continue to develop and shape our culture from participation to performance whilst impacting on the journey of the athletes and coaches in a high performing environment.”
Mark Buckingham
Mark Buckingham will provide leadership and hands-on coaching to the Triathlon National Senior Squad at training camps and international competitions.
Buckingham is currently the Head Coach at Brownlees Fitness and was the Team England triathlon coach at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He has also worked as British Triathlon Performance team coach and Para Triathlon Academy coach.
Mark will be charged with ensuring there is a clear plan for the direction and structure of camps and international races as part of Triathlon Ireland’s implementation plan for the Sport Ireland Tokyo Games Review recommendations.
He has a distinguished career as an athlete spanning a decade in which he won multiple British Triathlon Championships, World Cups and European Cups.
Mark said the new Performance team at Triathlon Ireland has the vision and ambition that he wants to be a part of:
“As we approach Paris 2024, I will strive to add value and experience to athletes on the National Squad and make sure they have the best support possible.”
“One area that I will be looking to develop is the Mixed Team Relay (MTR). As an athlete and coach, I’ve been lucky enough to experience how instrumental the MTR can be in creating the feeling of ‘team’. I think there’s a fantastic opportunity to harness the culture and passion of Triathlon Ireland, bring together the squad and really grow that area of the sport.”
Ailbhe Carroll
Ailbhe Carroll will work in the newly created role of National Pathway Coach and Programme Co-Ordinator. She has previously worked as Triathlon Ireland’s Women in Sport lead in a maternity cover capacity and has competed as an elite triathlete since 2014. In September she won the Irish Draft Legal Sprint National Championships at the Vodafone Dublin City Triathlon.
Ailbhe Carroll will work with Performance Director Gordon Crawford to build new structures across Triathlon Ireland’s Performance Development Pathway, talent programmes and provincial Development Squads.
She will be charged with ensuring Triathlon Ireland’s approach is ‘athlete centred and coach supported’.
Ailbhe has been coaching at Age Group and Elite level for more than a decade and is about to submit her Masters in Sports and Exercise Nutrition.
She said she is “massively excited” about the challenge ahead.
“This role is going to play a huge part in shaping the future pathways and opportunities available for Irish junior athletes.”
She added, ”Using my experience as an athlete and coach over the years, I believe I can bring a lot to the role and help create an environment nationwide that provides athletes with an opportunity to train and race at a world class level, whilst developing and growing as young athletes and people simultaneously.”
