CBE for Derbyshire athletics official Chris Cohen

4 January 2010

Derbyshire’s Chris Cohen, who was chairman of the Jury of Appeal at the 2008 Paralympic Games, has been awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours List.

Chris, who has been involved in athletics for most of his life as an athlete, coach and official, received the honour for services to sport.

He said receiving the award was “a huge shock and surprise”.

Chris (pictured) has worked in disability athletics since 1979, when he was asked to help at an event at Stoke Mandeville and gradually got more involved.

He has officiated at seven Paralympics and five Olympics, as well as numerous World Championships and other events around the world.

He was elected Chairman of International Paralympic Committee Athletics in 1991 and retired in 2008 after the Beijing Games to enable him to become involved in the planning for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics.

Chris has also been Chairman of the English Schools Athletics Association and led the staging of several Championships in Derby and Derbyshire, as well as being part of the management of the Derbyshire Schools’ Sports Association and secretary of DSSA Athletics for more than 20 years.

He has just passed his International Association of Athletics Federations exams and will act as an International Technical Official at this year's World Junior Championships in Canada and at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Bookmark with: (what's this?)