The 39-year-old from Manchester was the world's top-ranked slalom canoeist for four years and won the silver medal in the K-1 class at Sydney 2000. 

He also won a World Championship title in 1997 and two European titles, in 1998 and 2002. 


A GB Canoeing coach since 2004 he was among the first group of coaches to graduate from UK Sport's Elite Coach Programme in 2007.

He began working at Lee Valley White Water Centre in Hertfordshire as podium coach in 2011 and in the build-up to London 2012 he oversaw the preparations of the women's kayak class to World and European Championships medals.

"Having been involved in canoe slalom since I was eight-years-old, first working my way up through the ranks as an athlete, then through the different stages as a coach it is an honour and a privilege to be appointed canoe slalom podium dead coach," said Ratcliffe. 

"We have a group of highly motivated and talented athletes, a team of exceptional coaches to match, and a world-class facility here at Lee Valley where we are creating an elite environment around the athletes.

"We all want to reach the highest levels in this sport and it is important that we build steadily through the Rio [2016] cycle by taking it gate by gate, run by run to maximise every session in our pursuit for excellence."

Ratcliffe takes up his new post on the back of the most successful Olympics for Britain's slalom canoeists, when the team won an historic gold and silver medal in the C2 thanks to Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott, who beat team-mates David Florence and Richard Hounslow.


"GB Canoeing's aim is to be the number one canoeing nation in the world and our goal in the canoe slalom programme is to win medals at the Olympic Games in Rio," said Ratcliffe.

"For us the key is operating a programme of continuous improvement in every area, based around exceptional technical skills to enable us to deliver our best possible performances on race day."

John Anderson, the GB Canoeing performance director, backed Ratcliffe to be successful.  

"I am very pleased to have made this appointment," he said.

"Paul is one of the most talented technical coaches in sanoe slalom worldwide.

"He has also developed his leadership skills to a high level and I believe that he is a high quality individual that is ideally suited and qualified to take on the role as the head Ccoach of our Olympic Podium Programme."

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