A “long overdue” project has been launched by UK Sport to improve gender diversity across elite sport.

It aims to more than double the number of high-performance female coaches by the Paris Olympics in 2024.

As it stands, 10% of coaching positions across UK Sport-funded British Olympic and Paralympic programmes are held by women.

The government agency aims to increase that to 25% within four years as part of a new leadership programme.

Paula Dunn (Para-athletics) and Mel Marshall (swimming) will be among a group of leading coaches who will guide other women as part of the scheme. More