Queensland Athletics and the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) are pleased to announce experienced sports administrator and coach, Steve Rippon will step in the role of State Performance Advisor for Queensland’s high performance track and field athletes. 

An integral part of the Athletics Australia (AA) High Performance structure, this role will provide advice and leadership to the AA High Performance program in Queensland through a joint partnership with AA, QAS and Queensland Athletics. In this role, Rippon will provide support to the daily training environment of Queensland’s NASS athletes working closely with their personal coaches and the QAS Performance Service team.

With a history of success as a high performance coach and sports administrator both in Australia and abroad, Rippon will re-join the Australian Athletics Community, after spending over two decades overseas, his most recent role being with Finnish Athletics as the National Event Coach for Pole Vault for nine years.

Prior to his stint in Finland, Rippon worked as the high performance Manager for UK Athletics at the number one sports university in Great Britain, Loughborough University. Before working in the UK, Steve was a high performance coach at the West Australian Institute of Sport.

AA’s General Manager of high performance Andrew Faichney said he was thrilled to welcome Rippon back to the Australian athletics community.

“Steve has such rich experience in our sport and has fostered talent from the junior level through to the Olympics, and we’re looking forward to him bringing his wealth of experience to bolster the success of Queensland’s NASS athletes both on and off the track and field,” he said.

“Steve’s experience both as a coach and managing coaches will also mean he is able to help further develop Queensland’s top coaches, which will no doubt help improve the trajectory of athletes rising up the ranks.

“As the lead High Performance Advisor in Queensland – a state that hosts one of our biggest cohorts of NASS athletes – we’re looking forward to him making a serious impact on the performance results of our athletes.”

Rippon commenced in his role on Monday, 3rd February.