Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford has revealed he attempted to talk UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee out of stepping down from his position.
Van Commenee is quitting after the track and field team at this summer's Olympic Games fell two short of the eight-medal target he had set, even though four of them were gold.
Rutherford, one of those to stand on top of the podium, has made no secret of his desire to see the Dutchman, whose decision to recruit American coach Dan Pfaff played a major role in his particular success, remain in post.
He said: "I'm very disappointed that he's gone [Van Commenee], I have not kept that quiet at all.
"At the end of the day, Charles brought in Dan Pfaff, who has completely changed me, and I have become Olympic champion because of that.
"I was very disappointed. I talked to him quite regularly, trying to ask him to stay and he was keeping his cards close to his chest.
"He was saying he was thinking about it, but I think he always knew.
"With four years, he had a great opportunity going towards Rio to really change it, to revolutionise it, because when he came in in 2009 time, it was before the home games and he couldn't make some of the changes I knew he really wanted to.
"It's like he felt he had to leave with the job half-done, and I think it's a real shame."
Despite his disappointment at Van Commenee's exit, Rutherford is delighted with former head of sports science and medicine Neil Black's installation as UK Athletics' new performance director.
He said: "Neil has been around for such a long time and he knows the athletes inside-out.
"He has worked with a lot of us. Especially the guys who are slightly older, he has known us, he has treated us, he knows us very well.
"Having someone like that involved is really, really good, and whoever they appoint as the head coach, probably he will be good too.
"I am excited going forward, but I really would have loved to see Charles stay."
Double-Olympic champion Mo Farah also welcomed the appointment of a man who has played a significant role in his career.
Farah said: "Let me tell you a little bit about Neil Black: Neil Black, in my opinion, is the best physio in the whole world, so when I heard he had got it, I was just so pleased for him.
"Neil has been working with me since I was a kid. He has been the best physio in the world and I am just so pleased for him.
"Ask anybody - nobody will say any bad word about Neil Black. He knows us inside-out, more than anyone else, so I just welcome him."
