Peter Eriksson, who led Great Britain to third place in the athletics medal table at the Paralympic Games, was unveiled as UK Athletics' new head coach yesterday and immediately set his sights on exceeding the medal haul of Team GB's "golden generation" from London 2012 at the next Olympics.

The Swede has been charged with filling the post vacated by Charles van Commenee, who left Team GB failing to meet his lofty target of eight athletics medals at the Olympics this summer.

Eriksson, whose Team GB Paralympic athletes took 29 medals in total – including 11 golds – is reluctant to set a specific target for Rio 2016 but wants to outperform the celebrated class of 2012.

"We have in front of us a golden generation," he said. "There will be more pressure but that's not something that worries me. What worries me is to have the athletes and coaches in the right place."

Christine Ohuruogu, the former Olympic 400m champion who won silver this summer, has supported the appointment. "I was with him at the Paralympic Games holding camp and I was struck that he did whatever he could do to get the best out of the athletes," she said.