Australian Canoeing today announced that Mike Druce will take up the role of national head coach for the 2009 season.

Druce, previously the national head coach in 2005/6, will hit the ground running from January 5 at the national championships in Tasmania.

In announcing the appointment Australian Canoeing President, Danielle Woodward, said, “we welcome Mike Druce back into the role as head coach of the national team and AIS program and look  forward to seeing slalom develop at all levels on the back of the outstanding success achieved in Beijing”.

“In addition to his responsibilities with the elite athletes and AIS National Centre of Excellence program, Mike’s experience will a valuable asset for AC as we aim to build a sustainable athlete and coach pathway for slalom.”

In making the national head coach announcement Danielle Woodward acknowledged the role that Myriam Fox had played as head coach in leading the slalom program to success in Beijing. “We are very pleased that Myriam will continue with AC and the AIS in a key role as a senior high performance coach working with targeted elite and emerging athletes towards further success in London” She said.

Canoe slalom in Australia will also benefit from the introduction of new blood in the form of home grown coaching talent and international expertise.

Warwick Draper, the successful Athens and Beijing Olympian in men’s kayak class has been appointed as an Australian Sports Commission Scholarship Coach on a two year part-time program commencing in January 2009.

The ASC scholarship coach program is designed to fast track identified coaching talent through targeted coach education and professional development. In his part time role Draper will be able to continue his competition career splitting his time between Melbourne and Penrith with a focus on nationally identified junior and emerging athletes.

Australia will also benefit from the expertise of two international specialist coaches in 2009: Frenchman, Yann Le Pennec, a former team world champion and Athens Olympian (4th in C2) ,  returns to Australia in January as a guest of the NCE program; Stuart McIntosh, formerly an elite GB competitor in the C1 class will operate as an expert assistant to the national coaches at the National Centre of Excellence in Penrith.

During the course of 2009 Australian Canoeing, in consultation with its national partners, will determine the head coach and other new coaching appointments through to London 2012 taking into account any recommendations from the pending government Sport Review.