Jane Figueiredo has been honoured with the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024 after a stunning year that brought success for her divers across Olympic Games, World Championships and the European stage.
The annual IOC awards celebrate one female and one male coach who have played a vital role in the careers of the athletes they coach, as well as making a long-lasting impact on their sports. Jane was honoured, alongside pole vault coach Vitaliy Petrov of Ukraine, at a ceremony attended by IOC President Thomas Bach at Olympic House in Lausanne on Monday.
This year alone, Jane's divers collected four Olympic medals between them, with each of her athletes gracing the Paris podium in the summer. Noah Williams and Tom Daley combined for Men's 10m Synchro silver - Tom's record-breaking fifth Olympic medal - before Noah climbed back up the steps to dive to Men's 10m Platform bronze. Scarlett Mew Jensen, meanwhile, joined forces with Yasmin Harper to secure Team GB's first medal of the Games with Women's 3m Synchro bronze - Figueiredo having worked closely with Scarlett as she came back from a serious back injury.
Away from the Olympics, there was involvement for Tom, Scarlett and Dan Goodfellow - alongside Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix - to secure the Mixed Team Event world title in Doha, which was one of a history-making seven-medal haul for Aquatics GB diving at World Championship level.
Overall, Jane's divers have been part of five medal-winning performances across the last three Olympic Games - including our best-ever performance in Paris - with Daley and Matty Lee teaming up for an unforgettable Men's 10m Synchro gold at Tokyo 2020, five years on from a bronze in the same event for Daley and Goodfellow.
Her impact away from the water is just as clear, with the 60-year-old having been one of the lead coaches in UK Sport's inaugural Female Coaches Leadership Programme back in 2021.
Reflecting on the award, Jane - who was named Diving Coach of the Year at Saturday night's 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 for Jane, 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."
