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Sochi 2014 Cross B TudhopeThe Australian Paralympic Commitee (APC) is pleased to announce that Lukas Prem will take up the position of Head Coach of snowboarding, commencing on Monday, 1st September.

Prem brings a wealth of experience to the role, having been a team coach for the British Olympic team in 2010 and most recently for the Australian Olympic team at the Sochi 2014 Games. In his time as an Olympic coach, he has seen two of his athletes achieve a top eight Olympic result.

“We are thrilled to have someone of such high calibre join us as a full time coach. Lukas’ high performance background will take the Australian Paralympic Snowboard team to new heights and will help us achieve the best results possible at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games and beyond,” Performance Manager, Winter Sport, Pim Berkhout said.

“Lukas has demonstrated the ability to transform athletes into world class performance snowboarders and we believe he will enhance the APC’s winter program immensely.”

Following on from Australia’s success at Sochi this year, Prem will be responsible for developing and supporting the performance talent plan and establish a Para-snowboarding pathway for athletes, support staff and stakeholders.

“There are an incredible amount of opportunities for the Australian Para-snowboarding team, particularly at the 2018 Games and I’m looking forward to providing direction to help achieve high performance outcomes,” said Prem.

The 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games will see snowboard medal events increase, with a banked slalom event being added to the world cup circuit and the inclusion of lower limb classes.

“With new events added to the Games and a new strategy to coach our snowboarders, I believe the APC has the capability to hit performance targets and become stronger at each international event moving forward,” said Prem.

Prem will be working alongside Program Coach Peter Higgins this domestic season and learning from his experiences. Higgins has made a significant and valued contribution to the program, particularly prior to the announcement of the inclusion of the sport for Sochi and the commencement of APC investment and support of the program.

Following this, Higgins will work with the APC to determine ongoing program needs.

“It’s a really exciting time for Para-snowboarding and the perfect time for Lukas to start. We’re looking forward to seeing him take the program to the next level,” said Berkhout.

By APC Media
Posted: 28/8/14