David McNulty, Coach To Olympic And World Champions, Awarded MBE In King’s Birthday Honours List
David McNulty, who has coached a host of swimmers to the Olympic and world podium, has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List.
McNulty is awarded his MBE for services to swimming, one month before his fourth Olympic Games as Head Coach of the Aquatics GB Performance Centre Bath.
McNulty most recently guided Tom Dean and James Guy to the pinnacle with the former winning 200 free gold in Tokyo before he joined Guy, Matt Richards and Duncan Scott to claim 4×2 gold.
Tom Dean: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Freya Anderson, who swam the mixed medley prelims in 2021 before the quartet went on to take gold, is also among McNulty’s stable.
McNulty made his GB coaching bow at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka.
Since then he has overseen Jo Jackson to bronze at Beijing 2008, Michael Jamieson to 200 breaststroke silver at London 2012, Siobhan O’Connor to 200IM silver at Rio 2016 where Jazz Carlin claimed double silver in the 400 and 800 free with Chris Walker-Hebborn leading off the GB relay quartet that finished second in Rio and at the 2017 worlds.
McNulty is now gearing up for another Games on the Team GB coaching staff in Paris, his sixth in total, and said:
“During my time as Head Coach of the Aquatics GB Performance Centre in Bath, we’ve done three Olympics, 2012, 2016 and 2021, and over that time, my swimmers have won 11 Olympic medals and I’ve been absolutely over the moon.
“There was one in 2012, four in 2016 and six medals in 2021, and then a big highlight afterwards of winning the Team GB Coach of the Year in 2021, that absolutely blew me away.
“Normally it’s about making the swimmers’ dreams come true, as a coach, and this is time for me to reflect on what I’ve done personally. I’m over the moon with the Olympic record in that time I’ve been here at the Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre, and this award means so much. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of that journey along the way – all the great athletes, all the great staff, and I thank Aquatics GB as well. I’m absolutely over the moon with this recognition.”
Jazz Carlin: Photo Courtesy: Speedo UK
Rebecca Redfern – who won SB13 100m Breaststroke silver at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – is named MBE for services to young people and the community in Worcestershire.
Aquatics GB CEO Drew Barrand said: “Everyone at Aquatics GB is delighted to see Rebecca and David included on the King’s Birthday Honours List – fully deserved recognition for the impact they have made and continue to make both in and out of the water.
“Rebecca’s medal-winning performances at Paralympic Games and World Championships are one incredible way to inspire children and young people, but her engagement with hundreds of schoolchildren across the community of Worcestershire has allowed those people the priceless chance to hear about how an elite athlete shows resilience and overcomes all manner of challenges to achieve success, lessons that they can take with them into all walks of life. We know that her role in education in the area is an ongoing one and continue to be fully supportive of the difference she is making.
“David, meanwhile, continues to play a pivotal role on the ongoing success of our Aquatics GB swimming teams at the highest level. He is gearing up for his fourth Olympic Games as Head Coach of the Aquatics GB Performance Centre in Bath – having seen his athletes win medals in Tokyo, Rio, London and Beijing at the past four Games – and he has overseen countless other triumphs for his swimmers at World Championships and European Championships in intervening years, becoming an absolute mainstay of our international coaching setups.
“I’d also like to congratulate all other members of our aquatics family who have been recognised in today’s list.”
The King’s Birthday Honours List 2024 also sees Lewes-based Audrey Taylor recognised as a Medallist of the Order of the British Empire for services to amateur swimming in East Sussex, while technical official Tony Ward has been given the same award for services to swimming and para-swimming.