Obituary Bristol & West athletes mourn loss of top coach Dave

IT is with great sadness that Bristol & West has to report the death of Dave Jennings, one of the greatest middle distance coaches in the history of the club.

- Kevin FAHEY

Following a short illness Dave, aged 83, passed away peacefully at his home in Whitchurch on Monday, surrounded by his loving family, including his wife Cath and daughters Carol and Kim.

He also had three grandchildren, Evie, Ewen and William, who he loved spending time with and celebrated their many achievements.

Within the athletics community, Dave will always be remembered as the man who took on Nick Rose as a raw, teenage talent from Hengrove to the pinnacle of international athletics.

Nick became a two-times Olympian at Moscow (1980) and four years later at Los Angeles, where he finished 12th in the final of the 10,000m and also placed third in the 1980 World Cross Country Championships, in Paris.

“Dave started coaching me when I left school aged 16 and he opened my eyes to running,” said Nick.