Athletics chief quits

ATHLETICS Australia is the latest sport body to experience change at the top, with chief executive Darren Gocher poised to leave only months before the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Gocher had no comment on Monday but it is understood he is about to stand down as chief executive, leaving the organisation in a search for a new leader in an Olympic year.

Gocher, a former first-grade rugby league referee, has been at the helm of AA for more than three years. His departure comes a matter of months after the exit of the head of high-performance and coaching, Christian Malcolm.

Malcolm left late last year to take up a job as head coach of British Athletics.

Gocher wasted no time filling that void, convincing athletics legend Sally Pearson and fellow Olympian Leisel Jones to play a role with the team in the lead-in to Tokyo.

Respected coach Nic Bideau has also been brought on board to work alongside the country’s distance runners in the lead-up to the Olympics. Gocher, however, won’t be around to see whether the appointments have the desired effect.

It means athletics is the latest sport to have administrative tumult in the lead-up to the Olympics. Baseball Australia chief executive Cam Vale resigned only weeks ago while Andrew Hamilton has been the acting chief executive of Equestrian Australia.

Gocher’s decision comes as AA confirms its commitment to holding the Australian Track and Field Championships in Sydney in April.

AA acknowledged the health and safety guidelines around the event were still unfolding, but insisted that it would go ahead as planned.

It confirmed it was undertaking regular risk assessment and mitigation reviews. Contingency venues and revised competition structures have also been devised and will be executed if required.

As a result, AA has released a final timetable with a draft schedule of events to be distributed this week.

It said there may be forced changes and requested athletes book refundable flights and accommodation.