In a continuation of its ‘systematic’ series of 10 altitude training camps between now and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, British Swimming is sending 18 athletes to Northern Arizona University at the Hypo2 High Performance Sport Centre.
At the time the series of camps were announced back in October 2016, British Swimming National Performance Director Chris Spice said,
“We believe there are some significant gains for a group of swimmers that we need to explore further and ultimately perfect ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games.
“British Swimming will implement a testing programme prior to, during and post each altitude exposure to ensure we’re maximizing the positive effects such training can have on an athlete.”
This time around, athletes such as our Male Breakout Swimmer of the Year Swammy Award winner James Wilby, the winningest Scottish athlete ever at a single Commonwealth Games, Duncan Scott, and Olympic medalist Siobhan-Marie O’Connor will be among the elite swimmers taking on the grueling training conditions.
British Swimming’s Head of Elite Development, Tim Jones, explained, “This is the sixth altitude camp of the Tokyo cycle. We have been incredibly encouraged by both the buy-in to this initiative by both athletes and coaches, but also the productiveness of each of the camps to date.
“We expect this Flagstaff camp to follow in a similarly positive vein, and set up a large group of our key athletes for the remainder of this key 2019 season.
It will be an important preparation phase ahead of the British Championships at Tollcross this April, the meet that serves as sole qualification opportunity for the Gwangju 2019 World Championships.
Joining the athletes for the Flagstaff camp for a portion of the camp is Marc Spackman of The Royal Wolverhampton School Swim Club. Spackman’s star swimmer at the moment is young Matt Richards, the 15-year-old who has been rewriting the British Junior Record books all last year.
Swimmers attending the camp:
Jack Burnell
Holly Hibbott
Calum Jarvis
Daniel Jervis
Joe Litchfield
Max Litchfield
Siobhan-Marie O’Connor
Craig McLean
Ross Murdoch
Molly Renshaw
Toby Robinson
Aimee Willmott
Abbie Wood