Mark Skimming – Head of Swimming

Title: Head of Swimming at the University of Bath; Pentathlon GB National Centre Swimming Coach.

Date and Place of Birth: 1979, Oldham

Mark has led the student swimming programme at the University of Bath since 2008, having been age-group and assistant coach during the previous four years.

Prior to working in Bath, Mark was Head Coach of Leamington Spa Swimming Club where Justine Clarke and Grace Callaghan represented Britain at the European Juniors.

He worked as an assistant at City of Coventry helping with the senior squad and moving the most talented swimmers from Leamington to Coventry to enable them to reach their potential. Several reached national age group finals and won medals.

Since becoming head swimming coach at Bath in 2008, Mark has placed at least one swimmer at the major international event of that year since 2009 including Stacey Tadd at the London 2012 Olympic Games; Anna Hopkin, who won bronze with Team England at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and went on to win Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020; and Ben Proud, who was crowned World Short-Course Champion in December 2021. Other prominent student swimmers include Sports Performance student Jay Lelliott, who won gold and silver at the World University Games in 2015.

Since 2007, Mark has also coached the Pentathlon GB squad based at the University of Bath in the 200m freestyle discipline. London 2012 Olympic silver-medallist Samantha Murray and 2018 World Champion Jamie Cooke have both set pentathlon swimming world records during that time.

Contact Mark

Email: m.a.a.skimming@bath.ac.uk