9 Oct 2019
Femi Akinsanya named as the new director of athletics at Loughborough University
Loughborough University has announced Femi Akinsanya as its new Director of Athletics.
The former international triple jumper joins the University from England Athletics where he held the position of Coach and Athlete Development Manager.
Femi retired from professional sport in 2006 and in 2009 he joined British Athletics as an apprentice coach under his mentor Aston Moore. He then moved to England Athletics as a National coach mentor for triple jump and eventually became the National Coach and Mentor Lead for Jumps and Combined Events.
Femi has extensive knowledge across several athletics disciplines and has previously coached the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Louise Hazel, 2008 Olympic Games silver medallist Phillips Idowu, and British Paralympic athlete, Laura Sugar.
On his appointment, Femi said:
“I’m thrilled to be joining Loughborough University. This is a great opportunity to put into practice the knowledge and experience I’ve previously gained into an environment that is already world-renowned for its sporting excellence.
“I’m passionate about athletics and by strategically bringing together all our disciplines, I’m sure we can go from strength-to-strength, building on the solid foundations which are already in place.”
John Steele, Executive Director of Sport, Loughborough University, added:
“Femi’s record as a high-performance coach speaks for itself. With his leadership and knowledge, we want to build on what has always been a strength at Loughborough and create an even better environment. We are looking for him to bring a level of expertise and enthusiasm which will create new aspirations and achievements.”
Femi’s arrival comes during a strong period of growth for Loughborough Sport and follows the senior appointments of Issy Martin as Women’s Football Head Coach and Rhys Edwards as Director of Rugby.