Australian Swimming gotten it’s overhaul, now it is time for people to stop looking backwards and it is time for the new leadership to show what they can accomplish.
The Australian National Championships in Brisbane, which run from April 1st-6th, will be first major competition where the quartet of new leaders; John Bertrand, President of Swimming Australia, Mark Anderson, CEO of Swimming Australia, Michael Scott, High Performance Director and Jacco Verhaeren, Head Coach of the National Team have all been in their respective roles.
The competition will also be the trials for the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships.
Going into the trials the Aussies have swimmers ranked in the top five in the world 40 times with athletes at the top of those lists eight times.
High Expectations
In the last year Australian Swimming has made positive progress, moving from seventh at the 2012 Olympics (one gold, six silver and three bronze) to fourth at the 2013 FINA World Championships (three gold and ten silver). Swimmers have also set five LCM national records and 13 SCM national records.
Looking to the future the leadership group expects this progress to continue and at a more significant rate, “By 2020, and this is the big vision, we aim to be the No. 1 swimming nation in the world, from the Olympic podium and Paralympic podium through to grassroots,” Bertrand stated in his President’s address in early March.
“To the extent that, the Americans benchmark Swimming Australia as world best practice.”
“It’s a huge challenge.”
“It is an exciting challenge.”
Verhaeren was more specific of what he wants to see occur in Rio at the next Olympic Games, “The aim for Rio, but especially for 2020, is to have finalists in every final, so that means we have to work on more depth in the team, but at the same time the people we do have and the youngsters that we have coming, we have to maximise their performances,” Verhaeren told the Sydney Morning Herald.
They are not the only ones with high expectations, outspoken swimming legend Dawn Fraser has let her feelings be known. She says Verhaeren needs to earn his pay and show what he can do sooner than later, “He’s got a big job ahead of him,” Fraser told ABCGrandStand Sport.
“Whether he is as successful as some of our Australian coaches or what he brings into the country, I don’t know.”
“But if he’s being paid the money that I’ve heard he’s being paid, he’s going to have to do a bloody good job. Otherwise his contract will be torn up and told `see you later’.”
“I think they’ll give him until the world championships to see what the improvement is.”
“But from all accounts, there is an improvement and that’s all I can go by.”
Now that Verhaeren has started in his role and the leadership of Swimming Australia is set, the trials in Brisbane will be the starting point of their development project.
Campbell, Magnussen and Sprenger Lead the Way
Cate Campbell, James Manussen and Christian Sprenger all collected gold for Australia in Barcelona and all three will be expected once again to not only to do the same in Brisbane this week, but to bring home the top prize at both the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships this summer.
Campbell, the World Championship gold medalist in the women’s 100 freestyle and silver medalist in both the 4 x 100 freestyle and medley relays, has for the first time in a long time been able to stay healthy for a full calendar year. She has had a great start to the 2014 season ranking first in the world in the 50 (24.21) and 100 (53.08) freestyle. Last year at the Australian Championships, which doubled as the World Championship Trials, Campbell recorded a 24.27 in the 50 and a 52.83 in the 100.
Magnussen, who took home a gold in the 100 freestyle and silver in the 4 x 100 medley in Barcelona, has finally started to get out from under the reputation he gained after his behaviour pre-Olympics and is being seen as a leader on the Australian team. Just like Campbell Magnussen has had a great start to 2014 season recording the top time in the world the 100 freestyle (47.59) and the second fastest time in the 50 freestyle (21.88).
Last year at this meet Magnussen put a 21.52 in the 50 and a 47.53 in the 100, both times faster than what he posted in Barcelona.
Last summer in Barcelona Christian Sprenger won the 100 breaststroke, finished second in the 50 and collected a silver as part of the men’s 4 x 100 medley relay team. Sprenger has not had a spectacular start to the season, coming into the competition ranked second in the world in the 50 (27.54) and fourth in the world in the 100 (1:00.36) breaststroke, but will look to be sharp in Brisbane.
At the national championships last Sprenger posted a 26.90 in the 50 and 59.05 in the 100 breaststroke.
Alicia Coutts, Emily Seebohm, Belinda Hocking, Jessica Ashwood and Madeline Groves are all ranked number one in the world in individual events in 2014 and we should see some fantastic racing from all five women.
Development of Depth
In his interview with the Sydney Morning Herald Verhaeren acknowledged that if Swimming Australia was to achieve their ambitious goals they are going to have to develop the depth within the ranks, ”Although we have a world champion there in Chris Sprenger, men’s breaststroke is a weakness; IM [individual medley] is a weakness; long distance, although Jessica Ashwood is doing very well, is in depth a weakness; and men’s distance is a weakness as well, although Mack Horton is coming along.”
The Australians will be looking to those whose names are not well known provide excitement and rise to the occasion at the trials.
Magnussen agrees with Verhaeren and feels that the Commonwealth Games are the perfect place to give younger swimmers a chance to experience success on the international stage, “But I think this year will give us a really good opportunity at the Commonwealth Games to give some of those fringe guys a really good shot at a big international meet where there’s not as much pressure and then they can increase that pressure at Pan Pacs (in August) against the Americans,” Magnussen told the Sydney Morning Herald.
”If you look at the end of 2012 as the start of the rebuilding stage, you’d want at least three years to get that team back to strength and there’s some younger guys coming up who are just coming onto the radar now like Alex Graham who are only 18,19 years old so I think we need at least another year or two before the team is really ready to be a world force.”
With Swimming Australia’s leadership set, it is time to building towards 2016 and 2020. For this group the Australian National Championships will be the start of that process.
Live results and entries can be found here
All selection criteria can be found here.
The 2014 Australian Swimming Championships will be broacast LIVE nationally on ONE at the following times:
1 April – 6.30pm – 8.05pm – Brisbane Time
2 April – 6.30pm – 8.05pm – Brisbane Time
3 April – 6.30pm – 8.05pm – Brisbane Time
4 April – 6.30pm – 8.05pm – Brisbane Time
5 April – 6.30pm – 8.10pm – Brisbane Time
6 April – 7.30pm – 8.40pm – Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane Time
All official information on the meet can be found here.
USA will stay as #1 swimming nation for the foreseeable future, at least until 2020.
However, things change quickly in swimming, example:
– In 1997, no one in their right mind would have predicted that Australia would become #1 swimming nation in a few years, and yet in 2001 Fukuoka, Australia became #1
– Just a few months ago, a swimswam swimming expert Bobo Gigi predicted that Russia would become USA’s #1 competition in women 4×100 medley, and yet just a few days ago he declared Denmark will now be USA’s #1 competition in women 4×100 medley. (I am maintaining that Australia will remain USA’s #1 competition in women 4×100 medley at least until 2016 Rio, as Australia… Read more »
I forgot about Russia, as unpredictable as Russia has been, their swimming fortune will be largely decided by how effective their federation or FINA or WADA in conducting more strict testings.
don’t count on Vollmer…don’t think she will be around. And that leaves a void for USA.
I agree, if Magnussen was a team player he’d really take a go at the 200. He usually falters in the 50 at the world stage.
Pretty funny post about Missy being the only American hope…What about Ledecky, between the two of those girls you’ve got medals in every free and back event but the 50 free. Add Simone Manual in though and you may have that covered in Rio. Obviously with those girls and schmidt they’ll have dynamite free relays as well. Then on the men’s side the back is looking pretty good. By Rio they can probably send 4 guys that would win the 100 or 200 back (Murphy, Lochte, Clary, Conger, Grevers, Thoman, Plummer). So much… Read more »
Agreed.. but I would take some remarks..
Campbell will probably be unbeatable in Rio.. maybe only at 50 by Ranomi…
200 free.. It is probably the hardest race to pick a favorite..
100 back is pretty much Missy games.. but If I am not incorrect, she does now own the textile record… 200 back is easier.. unless Ustinova keep her growth rate
400/800/1500 is Ledecky hands down..
100/200 Breast is Europe Game.. Ruta and Pedersen are the ones to beat..
100 fly.. Vollmer Couts Sjostrom.. tought to chose.. 200 fly is Chinese girls hands down..
The 200/400 IM will probably be a Katinta/Ye personal battle.. the relays.. 4×100 I would pick Australia based on Campbell Sisters and Mckeon evolution,… Read more »
I think is TOO early to tell.There is a lot of new kids on the block.The scene can change like a tropical storm.
Nice Rafael! I didn’t have much time to think about it but I had to say something about missy being the only one from the states… There are a lot of young wildcards that may be ready for rio. The women’s 4 x 100 should be really interesting between the United States and Australia. While I’d say Australia has it right now it will be close, Missy only swam free at NCAA this year so we’ll see how fast she goes this summer. And obviously Simone manuals star is rising right now. We’ll see how fast Schmidt can go then, I assume she’ll be focusing on the 100 and 200.
Magnussen should be aiming 200free instead of 50free.With his coming home speed, i think he has a really nice 200 in him just waiting to come to light(and would help aussie relay a lot).
Agreed. He has to the potential to go sub 1:45 as well as a 47.2. A new age Van Den Hoogenband. It would be awesome to see
Wake up Australia , Usa is far from reach !
Australia and China will dominate in 2016. Missy Franklin is the only american hope, but Ustinova will be stronger than her very soon, maybe already next year in Kazan. With Lochte retired, the american male team is very weak, maybe only in backstroke they can get a medal. Australia, even being a small country ( 23 million people) , rules !!!
Lochte is not retiring and Phelps is pretty much coming back. Also have you not seen the young guys that USA has? It outdoes pretty much every other country by a mile. Even Australia’s calling card, the freestyle, USA is pretty much equal. Feigen, Adrian, Phelps, Dressel in the 4X100 is equal to Magnussen, Mcevoy, Roberts, and D’Orsogna. Backstroke, nobody has a chance to unseat USA. Australia’s Breaststroke has peaked with Sprenger and Rickard, and they are both aging. Meanwhile Kevin Cordes is going to be incredible. Butterfly will be weak for the Americans (unless Phelps comes back, which at this point it looks like he will). Kalisz is set to be a force in the IMs having medaled at… Read more »
Please, Lochte is almost 30, the same with Phelps. If they compete in 2016 Trials, they will suffer a lot even to qualify. No chance at all in Rio. Yes, I have seen the “young guys that USA has”, they are the same that were beaten by the australians and russians in the last year World Junior. And please, it was the strongest team USA could offer, no excuses; while the russians could be still stronger, just see the European Juniors result, a month before. I remember, last year the americans were saying the same thing about Cordes before the Barcelona World Championship…. . China has someone who is younger than Kalisz but already faster…. Even Ledecky is not a… Read more »
What a limited knowledge u have my Aussi friend ! Very arrogant u are ( probably due to many years of frustrations – ex: London 2012 Big flop ) ; pretty understandable considering that Australia is a real long term Swimming nation . To try to reduce the Us to Missy Franklin ( surely no one in Australia can go for 6 golds in one world championship / Barcelona 2013 hehehe ) , u must be very far from reality . All u can do is to despise and deny Us power potential ( they have worked for years and deserve it + have a huge background in swimming since Johnyy Weissmuller ) , am i right ? the population… Read more »
We heard the same story before the olympics. How did your australian team do???
Of course it’s all about population. The number of high quality structures being very related to population itself.