The pair will lead the BBSA's pursuit of success at the 2026 Winter Olympics as bobsleigh returns to UK Sport funding for the first time in four years.

Silva steps up from his role as bobsleigh manager within the British set-up, while Richardson joins after seven seasons with the Canadian team.

They share a combined 45 years of bobsleigh experience and will be aiming to build on last season's showing of eight top-tier medals when the new race season starts in November.

British bobsleigh teams won seven International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup medals and another at the Olympic test event last season, making it the country's most successful regular IBSF campaign in recent memory.

Brad Hall and his crew then finished 11^th and sixth at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games in February, with Mica McNeill and Montell Douglas 17^th in the women’s event.

"We are delighted to have both Mark and Graham heading up the British Bobsleigh programme as we move into a new Olympic cycle," said BBSA chair Joanna Poulton.

"They have a huge amount of experience within different areas of the world of bobsleigh and we believe they will drive the sport in Great Britain forward, both at an elite and developmental level."

Silva originally joined the BBSA as development manager before the 2021-2022 season.

He remains on secondment from the Royal Air Force, for whom he has served on numerous tours of Afghanistan and the Gulf during the past 25 years.

"During the last 18 months working with the team, I have met a lot of people who hold bobsleigh deep in their heart and it is an honour and a privilege to lead the sport forward for them," said Silva, who worked at the last two Olympic Winter Games with Jamaica.

"We have some outstanding athletes in the programme - many of whom have already achieved incredible success on the international stage - and, knowing how hard they work and how much talent they have - I am confident they will continue to excel this coming season and beyond.

"Those athletes have been central to our return to UK Sport funding and they deserve a huge amount of credit for their performances and their resilience over recent years.

"A strong summer of engagement has meant we have also seen large numbers of new athletes attending sessions in Bath and I am equally excited about the potential this group have shown in the short time they have been with us.

"The key now is to work with our partners to build a strong platform for athletes from all backgrounds and levels of experience to compete and excel together, with the overall aim of bringing long-term, sustainable success to British Bobsleigh."

Richardson arrives at the BBSA on the back of three successive medal-winning Olympics with Canada, working as team manager and technical driving coach for the most recent cycle.

He boasts more than 30 years of experience in the sport and the 57-year-old previously held head coach roles for both the Dutch and Italian teams 

Richardson has also worked for the IBSF in a development coaching capacity.

"It is a huge honour and a privilege to take on the role of head coach for Great Britain," added Richardson, who is entering his seventh Olympic cycle as a coach.

"I very much look forward to leading the teams towards medal performances at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games and beyond."

The new IBSF World Cup season begins in Whistler in Canada on the last weekend in November.

Races follow in Park City and Lake Placid in the United States before Christmas, with the circuit heading to Europe in 2023.

This season's showpiece event - the World Championships - should take place in St Moritz in Switzerland from January 26 to February 3 next year.