“Not sure this will affect British medal chances in Paris”- Michael Johnson reacts to Stephen Maguire departing as UKA's technical director
Legendary athlete Michael Johnson recently reacted to the news of Stephen Maguire leaving his spot as the technical director of UK Athletics (UKA). Moreover, his departure from his position just nine months prior to the 2024 Paris Olympics left Johnson wondering about UK’s potential medal count at the upcoming event.
The 59-year-old was appointed by the UKA 16 months ago, replacing Christian Malcolm. The Northern Irishman was the trailblazer for the UK’s terrific medal count of 10 at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Despite his efforts to match the UK’s performance in the 1993 World Championships, he received criticism for his selection strategy. It left many deserving athletes out of the world stage this year.
Amidst Maguire’s efforts to improve Team UK, the UKA made a shocking announcement of Maguire’s departure from its governing body on October 17. In a press statement, the body stated:
“UK Athletics have announced that Stephen Maguire will leave his role as technical director with immediate effect. An interim head coach will be announced in due course. Until then, no further comment will be made.”
As soon as the news broke out, several sports personalities reacted to the unexpected news.
Michael Johnson also shared the news on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account and wrote:
"Interesting! Not sure this will affect British medal chances in Paris, to be honest."
This statement of Johnson should provide some relief to the British fans who are worried about what such a major change can do to the country's prospects at the Paris Olympics.
Dina Asher-Smith reacts to Stephen Maguire’s departure from the UKA
UK’s 100m and 200m athlete Dina Asher-Smith also reacted to Stephen Maguire’s shocking departure from the UKA. She expressed her discontent with the development in her Instagram story.
Sharing UKA’s statement, the athlete wrote:
“Would love to see a full explanation of the reasoning behind this disappointing decision for the athletes and our performances. Stephen has been phenomenal, so dedicated, and has an excellent understanding of what it takes to be successful at track and field.”
Furthermore, Asher-Smith added that the 59-year-old's rich athletic experience made him “excellent at his job.” She also credited him for Team UK’s incredible success at the World Championship that paved the way for the Paris Olympics.
The British athlete also highlighted how UKA’s decision could affect its athletes preparing for the Olympics:
"Such a snap decision as athletes begin to prepare for an Olympic Games cannot have been done with any consideration for the performance needs of the athletes."
At last, she requested the governing body to explain to the athletes what led to Maguire’s departure. She also called the decision “incredibly short-sighted” and taken without considering the Olympic preparation of the athletes.