Under Williams, a former national class swimmer who had held the position since July 2003, the sport has consistently been one of Britain's most successful on the international stage but until London 2012 had failed to win a medal at the Olympics.

Williams had made the decision to leave after London before the Brownlee's stunning performances in Hyde Park and the position is already attracting considerable interest both from coaches in Britain and overseas.

"She was hoping that it would turn out how it did," Zara Hyde Peters, the chief executive of British Triathlon, told insidethegames.

Williams will officially leave her role at the end of next month.

"Performance director roles are very tough," said Hyde Peters.

"They are emotionally draining, massive jobs that take a lot out of people.

"Sometimes they need to step back from that massive intensity and have a break."

The opportunity to work with the Jonathan (left) and Alistair Brownlee ensures there are no shortage of candidate to replace Heather Williams as the performance director of British Triathlon

British Triathlon can expect to be one of the best funded sports in the build-up to Rio 2016 after they hit their medals target and it is no surprise that the job, which is based in Loughborough, is proving attractive to several leading names in the sport.

"A few people have already contacted us about the role," admitted Hyde Peters. 

"But we won't rush into an appointment because there's good support network around the athletes and they won't suffer in the short-term from Heather's departure.

"It's a worldwide search but the most important thing is that we find the right person."

For more details on the role and how to apply click here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
August 2012: Brownlee brothers write history as they take first and third in Olympic triathlon