Scotland's Stephen Park is new British Cycling chief

British Cycling has announced the appointment of Stephen Park as its new performance director. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire

The Glasgow-born 48-year-old was the Royal Yachting Association’s Olympic manager but has switched to an organisation veering from one  crisis to another.

“Welcome aboard” declared British Cycling on Twitter in announcing Park’s arrival. The two-time Olympic sailing  competitor is tasked with guiding cycling’s national governing body through turbulent waters.

He is the first performance director since Sir Dave Brailsford departed to concentrate solely on Team Sky in April 2014.

Brailsford’s position as Team Sky principal is under scrutiny in a crisis which has engulfed cycling in Britain.

British Cycling chief executive Ian Drake is to leave in early 2017, with the recruitment process for his successor ongoing, at a period of transition for Britain’s most successful Olympic sport.

British Cycling is currently also without a technical director after Shane Sutton resigned in April over allegations of discrimination.

An independent review into the culture of the world-class performance programme is due to conclude early next year.

However, Great Britain won six gold medals from 10 track events at the Rio Olympics and were the dominant team at the Rio Paralympics.

Park, above, will be tasked with ensuring that dominance continues at the Tokyo Games and beyond. He did lead Britain’s sailors to the top of the medal table in Rio.

Park said: “I feel privileged and excited to be given this opportunity, and look forward to building on the high-performance culture at British Cycling

“Cycling poses very different challenges to sailing, but it’s a sport I am very passionate about.”