With Sander Ganzevles and Stefan Hansen, the German Swimming Federation has committed two coaches from other European countries.
The Dutchman Sander Ganzevles was named head coach of the German federal training center in Heidelberg and Stefan Hansen, who is from Denmark, now leads the training base in Berlin.
34-year old Sander Ganzevles worked for the Dutch Swimming Federation as an analyst for several years. During his own competitive swimming career, he won silver at the Junior European Championships 2000 in the 50m and 200m backstroke. “Sander is a young coach and he will provide fresh impetus.” said German head coach Henning Lambertz.
Stefan Hansen spent the last three years at the national training center of Denmark in Copenhagen, of which 1,5 years as the Danish head coach. There he supervised among others Pernille Blume, who won gold in the 50 m freestyle at the 2016 Olympic Games and he also trained the Danish breaststroke star and world record holder Rikke Möller-Pedersen.
There he supervised among others Pernille Blume, who won gold in the 50 m freestyle at the 2016 Olympic Games and he also trained the danish breaststroke and world record holder Rikke Möller-Pedersen.
The Dane still sees great potential in the German swimming sport, wants to expand strengths and to improve the greatest weaknesses. And he is a friend of the new “strength concept” from Henning Lambertz, chief coach swimming at the German Swimming Association: “Henning is right with his analysis. Only in the weight room the athletes can get stronger, it doesn’t work in the water.” Henning Lambertz sees a chance for improvement in the athletic skills of the German swimmers – he developed with experts a “strength concept” for swimmers of all perfomance levels. Lambertz wished him further success: “He is a top man with international experience and already looks back on great success. ”
Germany has four federal training centers for swimming at the moment – in Hamburg, Berlin, Heidelberg and Essen where many of the German top swimmers train: In Hamburg for example Jacob Heidtmann, who finished fifth in the 400m IM at the 2015 World Chamionships in Kazan. Several German top swimmers like Dorothea Brandt, Damian Wierling, Hendrik Feldwehr, Lisa Höpink call Essen their home training base and in Heidelberg, Philip Heintz (2016 silver medalist in the 200 IM at the SC World Championships) and Sarah Köhler (Olympic finalist in the 800 m freestyle in Rio).
The federal training centers receive about 300.000 Euros (318.000 USD) per year for coaches, technical equipment, physio and mental therapists. Many of the training bases cooperate with Olympic support centres which are service facilities for top athletes and their trainers. Olympic support centers offer additional support with medical care and performance diagnostics.
Under discussion are at the moment two potential federal training centers – in Potsdam and/or Magdeburg/Halle. The status of being a federal training center is extremely important because of the financial support. But the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) cut the financial support for the swimming due to the lack of success at the last two Olympic Games – the German swimmers didn’t win medals. The conclusion was to reduce the amount of federal training bases from 8 to 5.
With their depth Germany sure has the ability of winning medals. Their male world record holder Deibler quit and now makes ice cream. Koch swam fast at the wrong meet 2016. Given their dominance in long distance Triathlon with males placing 1,2,3,5 and 7 in an American invented event their open water could be even better than Reichert and Harle in 9th and 6th…