Jeanette Ottesen joining Velje Triton club as an ‘elite consultant’, no word on future training plans

Denmark’s European champ Jeanette Ottesen is joining a new swim club, but perhaps not in the way many would expect.

Ottesen could be in the market for a new training home after her coach Shannon Rollason announced his plans to return to Australia at the end of the year. But the announcement this week came that Ottesen is joining the Velje Tritons – as an ‘elite consultant’.

The club’s press release emphasizes Ottesen’s hopes for the 2016 Olympics, but also notes her desire to set herself up for a successful career post-swimming, something a consulting position should help with.

There’s no word on what this means for Ottesen’s swimming plans. The butterflyer currently trains at the National Training Center in Bellahoej along with fellow Danish stars Rikke Moller Pedersen and Pernille Blume. That crew has been tearing it up on the international scene as of late, highlighted by Ottesen’s gold medal upset of Swede Sarah Sjostrom in the 100 fly.

But Ottesen appeared not just disappointed but completely blindsided by coach Rollason’s announcement of his departure. Avisen.dk published a story with Ottesen’s reaction when Rollason’s resignation was announced last week. A rough translation of her thoughts at the time:

“I am speechless,” Ottesen said. “The last six months have been the best in my career, and I’m terribly sorry. He is the greatest coach I’ve had.”

In the piece, Ottesen said she had no idea what her future training situation would be, though she did go as far as to mention following Rollason to Australia in the event she couldn’t find a suitable coach in Denmark. Her acceptance of this position with Triton probably seals the deal for her staying in her home country, though.

Her current training location, at the National Training Center with Moller Pedersen and Blume, is definitely still in play. The Velje Triton club is based out of Lyngby, which is only a short ways from the NTC in Bellahoej. Both are just north of Copenhagen.

Ottesen’s happiness is of the utmost importance to Danish swimming right now, as she’s one of four women on the rise to superstar status. Along with Moller Pedersen, Blume and Mie Nielsen, Ottesen gives the Danes a legitimate shot at medley relay golds both in Kazan next summer and the Rio Olympics the year after. The loss of any one of the four athletes would be a major blow to Danish swimming.