Mark Wood

World Class Development Squad Coach

Full Name: Mark Wood

Place of Birth: Congleton

Currently Living:

Occupation: Coach

Reasons for taking up the sport(as an athlete): Initially tried bobsleigh but was too small. Then tried Luge but I was too old and then tried skeleton but hated it. I carried on though because it was the ultimate challenge, a personal challenge to overcome fear and make me a better person.

Year Started in the sport (As an athlete): 1989

Year started coaching: 1995

Significant Results (as an athlete and coach):

Sliding: British Champion 1991, 1992 1994

First British slider to make WC top 10

Coaching:

Whilst the Head coach with the Canadian team, I was instrumental in the development of the One-hand push, this is now used by over 95% of all Skeleton athletes World wide and changed the way Skeleton is today.

Lindsey Alcock (2004) and Jeff Pain (2002) Silver medal in World Championships

Produced Britains first ever junior world champion in 03-04 season. Followed it up with a silver medal Junior Worlds in 06-07 seasons.

Numerous Medals with different athletes in World cup.

Although not directly involved with athletes during the 2006 winter Olympic games in Turino, 4 of the 6 athletes that won medals (Duff Gibson- Gold, Jeff Pain-Silver, Shelly Rudman-Silver & Mellisa Hollingsworth-Bronze) had worked with me for at least 2-3 years during their Development as Elite athletes..

Mark was the head coach of the Canadian team from 2000 to 2002 and oversaw the most consistent team during that period who took nearly 50% of all medals available in the 2001/02 season. After the 2002 Olympic Games in 2002, Mark joined the British team in order to re-build and develop the team including working with Amy Williams, Shelley Rudman, Adam Pengilly and Ant Sawyer. In 2005 he took a year out of coaching but returned in 2007 to head up the development squad. This team produced some excellent results with most of the squad making a rapid move up to the podium squad. He is now involved across all the squads in British Skeleton and is currently one of only thirty six coaches undergoing coach development as part of the Elite Coaching programme which is run by UK Sport