Maguire favourite to take on UKA shambles

STEPHEN MAGUIRE has emerged as the strong frontrunner to be handed the responsibility of resurrecting UK athletics’ broken performance system. the crisis-hit organisation are reeling from the dramatic resignations of chief executive Joanna Coates and performance director sarah symington this week. they are now searching for candidates to step in to repair the damage, with a number of senior athletes disillusioned about the state of the sport in this country. the highly regarded Maguire, currently head of high performance at sport Ireland, is understood to have the backing of several significant figures within track and field. he worked extensively with UKA chair Ian Beattie and interim chief executive Mark Monroe at scottish athletics and his departure from UKA last year is seen as an error that ought to be corrected. If Maguire was to return it is unclear how existing head coach Christian Malcolm would fare in the shake-up. Malcolm and symington were heavily criticised by athletes during a now infamous conversation between leading British stars and sebastian Coe in Zurich last month. there is also no guarantee that Maguire will want to return after he was controversially overlooked in favour of Malcolm for the head coach role last year.