Shaun Pickering

Shaun Pickering was born with an impeccable track and field pedigree. His mother, the former Jean Desforges, was a bronze medallist in the sprint relay at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games and is, through 2022, the only British woman to win European Championship titles in both track (sprint relay 1950) and field (long jump 1954) events. His father, Ron Pickering, was Welsh national athletics coach for most of the sixties and was the personal coach to Lyn Davies when he scored a surprise long jump victory at the 1964 Olympic Games. Ron later became one of the UK’s most recognizable voices in television commentary until his death in 1991.

Shaun was adept at the shot put, discus and hammer and held the Welsh record at all three events at one point or another during the eighties and nineties. He was twice the AAA indoor shot put champion in 1996 and 1998, although he never won an outdoor title, and represented Wales at both the 1986 and 1998 Commonwealth Games, reaching three throws finals on his first appearance and winning bronze in the shot on his second appearance. He made 15 international appearances for Great Britain between 1987 and 1998 which included the Atlanta Olympics, the 1997 World Championships and the European Championships in 1998.

Following his retirement from competition he was active as a coach and was made Great Britain’s national heavy throws coach in 2010. Pickering was also elected to the Welsh Athletics Hall of Fame. In later years he specialized in coaching Paralympic athletes in the throwing events. Pickering was also involved with the Ron Pickering Fund, a charity set up in memory of his late father, which helps youngsters to become involved in athletics. Outside athletics he was involved in Canon’s sponsorship of Formula 1 racing

Personal Bests. SP – 20.45 (1997), Discus 52.20 (1996), Hammer 68.64 (1984)