British Triathlon Performance Director, Brendan Purcell, will step down on 31 May to take up a new position as Director of Performance at British Rowing. The search for his replacement has begun with immediate effect.

Purcell, has served as Performance Director at British Triathlon since January 2013, where he has overseen success on the world, Olympic and Paralympic stage. At the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games British triathletes won seven medals, including an historic second gold for Alistair Brownlee and a first ever medal for a British woman through Vicky Holland. In the inaugural Paralympic triathlon, Great Britain finished second in the medal table, with one gold, two silvers and one bronze.

Purcell will lead a very experienced team of coaches at British Rowing and follows on from the hugely successful Sir David Tanner CBE, who retired in February.

British Triathlon CEO, Andy Salmon said: “We wish Brendan every success at British Rowing and offer our sincere thanks for his part in the great moments that this sport has enjoyed during his time as Performance Director.”

He added: “British Triathlon is in an excellent position with successful senior athletes and an exciting pipeline of junior talent, as well as a strong team of coaches and practitioners. This is testament to Brendan’s leadership. Our search for his replacement has already begun as we look to build on his achievements in pursuit of our mission to be the best prepared and supported team on the start line.”

Purcell will be supporting the Home Nations triathlon team delivery at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast next month. He will formally take on his role as British Rowing’s Director of Performance from 1 June 2018.