Tribute as legendary athletic coach and mentor Wilf Paish dies aged 77

Mr Paish, who lived in West Yorkshire, died yesterday morning of pancreatitis and kidney failure aged 77. He coached athletes for more than five decades and guided Tessa Sanderson to the Olympic javelin title in 1984 and Rotherham runner Peter Elliott to a silver medal in the 1,500m in Seoul four years later.

He attended nine Olympic Games as a coach and helped javelin thrower Mick Hill to a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1986. He was made an MBE in 2005.

Mr Hill, now director of athletics at Leeds Metropolitan University and javelin coach to world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis, knew Mr Paish for 31 years and owes his career in sport to the Gloucestershire-born teacher.

"He had a great influence on my career. I would not have become a javelin thrower had it not been for him and his legacy lives on through the coaching we do now," said Mr Hill.

"His greatest strength was not that he coached world class athletes but that he would give his time to anyone who wanted to get involved in athletics and turned up at the track or contacted him.

"This approachability and willingness to offer help and advice is the reason why he is loved all over the world and why so many people will be mourning his passing."