A Life in Coaching
Date: 16 November 2023
Presenter: Iryna Dovoskina, Athletics Australia
Facilitator: Tim Kelly, Manager, Research and Innovation, Australian Sports Commission
Synopsis
Many countries would be happy with 70 international medals won at Paralympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. As a coach, Iryna Dvoskina achieved medals 69 and 70 with her athlete James Turner’s stunning double gold medals in the 100m and 400m at the recent Paris Athletics World Championships. This achievement ranks Iryna as among the truly great coaches in Australian sporting history.
In this Q&A session, Iryna will be asked about her life prior to coming to Australia from the Ukraine, how she became a coach, and her coaching philosophy. As a Paralympics coach, Iryna has had to master the integration of science, technology, engineering, and data to achieve her outstanding performances, along with all the human factors related to coaching. The session will be an opportunity for the audience to engage with one of the great Paralympic coaches of all time.
Biography
Iryna has two Masters degrees, the first one in neurophysiology and second one in coaching. She was a head coach of Ukrainian National Paralympic athletics team from 1995 to 2002.
Iryna came to Australia in 2003 to be closer to her mother Fira, herself an accomplished track and field coach of Australian athletes like Steve Solomon. Iryna was recruited by the Australian Institute of Sport to coach Paralympic Track and Field sprints and jumps athletes. At the 2004 Athens Paralympics, she coached athletes including Heath Francis, Lisa McIntosh, and Amy Winters who combined for nine medals.
At the 2008 Summer Paralympics, she was the coach of five Australian athletics competitors who combined for an incredible thirteen medals. Of note in 2008 was Iryna’s coaching of the great Evan O’Hanlon who would go on and win an incredible seven Paralympic medals over four Paralympic Games, including five gold.
In 2012, Iryna coached Evan O’Hanlon and Scotty Reardon to Paralympic medals, and at Rio, Scotty broke through for a memorable Paralympic gold medal. At the Tokyo Paralympics, Iryna coached Vanessa Low to a gold medal, and James Turner to one gold and a silver.
Iryna is married to Paralympic Swim coach Yuriy Vdovychenko whose athletes have won 47 international medals.