Several coaches behind the success of Great Britain during the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics have become the first to graduate from UK Sport’s Elite Programme.

British Gymnastics’ technical director Eddie van Hoof, who led the squad to the top of the men’s gymnastics table, and Michael Assouline, the man behind Paralympics GB’s most successful equestrian team, were among those graduating.

They were joined by Anna Stembridge (netball), Christian Felkel (rowing), David McNulty (swimming), Mark Delaney (canoeing), Paul Thompson (rowing), Peter Moores (cricket) and Rob McCracken (boxing),

Between them, the nine graduates helped deliver 28 Rio medals for Team GB and ParalympicsGB.

The coaches have completed a “rigorous” three-year programme of personal and professional development.

Thompson and van Hoof have subsequently been asked to join UK Sport’s Coaching Fellowship, which champions the development of world-class coaching in the UK.

“Coaches are the crucial backbone of our high performance system,” said UK Sport head of performance people development Graham Taylor, “and I know this group will continue to provide world-class support and direction for their athletes, as well as now using the wisdom they have gained on the programme to help us take British coaching from world-class to world-leading.”