Peter Eriksson is new Athletics Canada head coach: report

Athletics Canada will reportedly introduce Peter Eriksson on Wednesday as head coach of its Olympic and Paralympic program. Eriksson coached in Canada for nearly 20 years before leaving for Britain.

Longtime Canadian coach had been working in Britain

Peter Eriksson has been coaching in Great Britain since 2008 and was appointed head coach of British Athletics in October 2012. (Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Peter Eriksson is about to return to coaching in Canada.

Athletics Canada will officially introduce Eriksson as head coach of its Olympic and Paralympic program on Wednesday, according to sources.

The 60-year-old Swede stepped down as head coach of British Athletics on May 15.

Eriksson coached in Canada for nearly 20 years, earning coach of the year honours at the 2005 Canadian Sport Awards for guiding Chantal Petitclerc to five gold medals at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens.

Petitclerc repeated that feat four years later in Beijing, earning Eriksson Athletics Canada's coach of the year honours.

Athletics Canada, which has scheduled a conference call for 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, cleaned house in January, firing head coach Alex Gardiner and chief high performance officer Martin Goulet following Canada's disappointing performance in London.

The organization named Scott MacDonald its new high performance director in March.

Canada had set a target of three athletics medals in London but fell short, coming away with just one — Derek Drouin's bronze in high jump.