Draft:Gary Bourne

Gary Bourne (19 December 1946 - 1 November 2023 ) was an Australian athletics coach, best known for coaching Australian long jumper Mitchell Watt.

A physical education teacher by profession, Bourne himself was a beach sprinter , decathlete and 400 meter hurdler in the late 60s and 70s, winning the Victorian state decathlon title in 1975.

He coached several major championship long jump medallists:


 * Mitchell Watt - 2012 Olympic silver medallist and 2009 and 2011 World Championships bronze and silver medallist respectively.
 * Henry Frayne - 2012 World Indoor silver medallist and 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist.
 * Bronwyn Thompson - 2006 Commonwealth Games champion and Australian record holder.
 * Carlee Beattie - Para world champion and two-time Paralympian.
 * Darren Thrupp (moved to Bourne in 2001) - Paralympic gold medallist.

Other notable championships medallists coached by Bourne include:


 * Jai Taurima (early career)
 * Peter Burge (early career)
 * Naa Anang
 * Chris Noffke

Bourne died on 1 November 2023 at the age of 76.