{{short description|British former long-distance swimmer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Alan Bircher | image = | caption = | birth_name = <!--if different--> | birth_date = {{birth-date and age|21 September 1981}} | birth_place = | headercolor = lightsteelblue | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's swimming}} {{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }} {{MedalCompetition|European Championships}} {{MedalSilver| 2004 Madrid | 5 km open water}} {{MedalCompetition|FINA World Championships}} {{MedalSilver| 2004 Dubai | 10 km open water}} }}
'''Alan Bircher''' (born 21 September 1981) is a British swimming coach and former long-distance swimmer. He competed in six world championships between 2001 and 2008<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alan BIRCHER {{!}} Results {{!}} World Aquatics Official |url=https://www.worldaquatics.com/athletes/1026650/www.worldaquatics.com/athletes/1026650/alan-bircher |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=World Aquatics |language=en}}</ref> and is a former coach of Olympic gold medalist Freya Anderson.
In 2004, Bircher placed second in the 10 kilometer event at the FINA Marathon Swim World Series<ref>{{Cite web |title=All FINA Swimming World Cup 2004 Results By OMEGA |url=https://www.omegatiming.com/2004/fina-swimming-world-cup-durban-live-results |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=www.omegatiming.com}}</ref> and second in the 5 kilometer event at the LEN European Aquatics Championships.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All European Swimming Championships Results By OMEGA |url=https://www.omegatiming.com/2004/european-swimming-championships-ow-live-results |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=www.omegatiming.com}}</ref>
From 2011 to 2022, Bircher was the coach of the Ellesmere College Titans (ECTM) swim club.
== Controversy == Bircher was criticized for facilitating a body-shaming culture among his preteen and teenage female swimmers. In 2021, Bircher was blocked from joining Team GB's Tokyo coaching squad.<ref name="Byrnes">{{cite web |last1=Byrnes |first1=Liz |date=17 July 2021 |title=Alan Bircher Suspended by Swim England After Investigation Into Allegations Of ‘Toxic Culture’ At Ellesmere College |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/alan-bircher-suspended-by-swim-england-after-investigation-of-toxic-culture-at-ellesmere-college/ |access-date=20 February 2022 |website=Swimming World |publisher=Sports Publications, Inc.}}</ref> Though a group of eighty former Ellesmere swimmers signed a letter stating that no wrongdoing had occurred, one former swimmer alleged that Bircher weighed his team weekly from an early age. An independent investigation found 70 complaints about behavior across the Titans coaching staff and led Ellesmere College to shut down the club in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Woods |first1=Rebecca |title=Ellesmere College Titans swimming club to close after damning report |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-60232977 |access-date=18 February 2022 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
==References== <references />
==Further reading== * {{cite web |url= http://www.teambath.com/2011/05/06/alan-bircher/ |title= Alan Bircher |website= TeamBath.com |publisher= University of Bath |access-date= 11 August 2014 |archive-date= 12 August 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140812210602/http://www.teambath.com/2011/05/06/alan-bircher/ |url-status= dead }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120209125730/http://www.alanbircher.com/index.asp Ex British Swimmer Joins Titans Coaching Team]
==External links== *{{cite web|url=http://www.alanbircher.com/index.asp |title=AlanBircher.com |accessdate=2007-11-21 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209125730/http://www.alanbircher.com/index.asp |archivedate=2012-02-09 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bircher, Alan}} Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:English swimming coaches Category:British male long-distance swimmers Category:British sports coaches Category:21st-century British sportsmen
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