Jane Figueiredo Wins IOC Female Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award For 2024
Diving coach Jane Figueiredo has been honoured with the IOC Female Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024 after a year in which she guided athletes to the Olympic, world and European podiums.
The annual awards celebrate one female and one male coach who have played a critical role in guiding the sporting and personal journeys of athletes under their tutelage.
The 60-year-old has coached Tom Daley to three Olympic medals since they first joined forces in 2014, including men’s 10m synchro gold alongside Matty Lee at Tokyo 2020.
Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
And at Paris 2024, all three of Figueiredo’s divers selected for the Games won medals.
Scarlett Mew Jensen, who has worked under Figueiredo for the past two years, won Team GB’s first medal of the Games when she took bronze in the women’s 3m synchro, alongside Yasmin Harper.
Daley and Noah Williams then clinched men’s 10m synchro silver, with Williams also adding men’s individual 10m platform bronze to his name.
Following their success in Paris, Figueiredo acknowledged the role played by coach Dave Jenkins who was the development lead coach for Dive London and guided Williams from the age of 16 at the London Aquatics Centre.
He was also instrumental in setting up the Tom Daley Diving Academy, which delivers lessons to thousands of children.
She said: “For Tom and I it [an Olympic medal] is like old turkey, we’ve been down this road,” she said.
“But for Noah it’s his first medal, he lost his beautiful, wonderful coach a few years ago. So this for us is a very special occasion. Dave Jenkins set him up and I just took him the rest of the way.
“It’s a very emotional thing, it’s not just Xs and Os, we’re a partnership the three of us.”
Reflecting on the award, Figueiredo – who was named Diving Coach of the Year at the Aquatics GB Awards 2024 – said: “I am truly honoured to be receiving the IOC Lifetime Achievement Award for my coaching. I would like to thank the IOC for recognising my work and awarding me this incredible accolade. I would also like to extend my gratitude to my family, colleagues, mentors and Aquatics GB for their unwavering support and guidance. This award is not just for me, but for all the incredible divers, coaches and support staff who have guided and supported me over the course of my career.
“Coaching has been my passion since I was a young girl, and to receive this award is a dream come true! The Olympic Games are the ultimate dream for many coaches and athletes – we strive every day for excellence, and this award is recognition of all those long hours and years of dedication.”
The ceremony saw Daley send a personal message, saying: “What an absolute honour to have worked with Jane. She put her heart and soul into every single competition, and throughout the years she has taught me what it means to be a real professional athlete. She has impacted so many people and not just me and my diving career, in and out of the pool. She has set up such a legacy for herself and it is an honour to have been part of that.”
Tom Daley & Noah Williams: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
In recent years, Figueiredo has also worked with three-time Olympian Grace Reid, two-time Olympian Dan Goodfellow and Desharne Bent-Ashmeil, who won three golds at the 2024 European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade.
Great Britain claimed a record diving haul in Paris with bronze in all four synchronised events as well as Williams’ individual third place.
The IOC award winners were selected by a panel appointed by IOC President Thomas Bach and chaired by Sergii Bubka. The panel included two members of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission and two members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.
The awards were presented at a ceremony at Olympic House in Lausanne on Monday 18 November.