NESBIT TO HEAD UP BRITISH OFFSHORE CENTRE
British Swimming has appointed Olympic coach Chris Nesbit
to head up a pioneering offshore swimming programme in Australia.
The two-time Olympic coach, who guided swimmer Katy Sexton
to World gold and silver medals in 2003, will be based at
the Southport School near Brisbane on the Gold Coast.
He will head up an initiative first introduced at the beginning
of 2003 that offers talented young swimmers the opportunity
to continue their education in Australia while making use
of state-of-the-art facilities and support.
"I feel very positive about the challenge ahead, "said
the former Portsmouth Northsea coach. "Even though it's
different to what I've been doing over recent years, which
I've spent being involved with the senior team, I'm really
looking forward to working with the swimmers and school.
"This new role is about focusing on younger talent,
between the ages of 15 and 18, and I've had some good successes
with athletes of that age group in the past."
The school is currently home to five young, British swimmers
in Chris Alderton (Wear Valley), Michael Rock (Everton), Max
Underhay (Portsmouth Northsea), Daniel Waslin (Kingston upon
Hull), Daniel Coombs (Chorley Marlins).
Plans are already in place, however, to extend the British
involvement at the school and Nesbit is currently on the look
out for athletes to join the programme.
"We have to make sure that we're continually moving
forward and, as head coach and manager, that's what I'll be
doing.
"We have five swimmers there at the moment while selection
is also being undertaken to identify six other suitable swimmers
for the programme and these would be in place by Christmas."
The opportunity, the brainchild of British Swimming National
Performance Director Bill Sweetenham, is far from an expensive
luxury as it helps to ease the burden on the British Swimming
World Class programme.
In contrast to the expensive pool and lane hire costs in
this country, the Southport facilities of an outdoor 12-lane,
50m pool and an outdoor six-lane, 25m pool and gymnasium are
available for less than in this country.
"It's a great facility with a perfect location,"
said Nesbit "It's a sports orientated school which has
a lot of success across a many sports such as rugby, cricket
and obviously swimming.
"It's not just about swimming though. The athletes are
also going there to get a good education and to experience
the Australian culture.
"It's a very good school and my aim is to have developed
the swimmers to make sure they enter the senior programme
when they finish.
"The cultural side of things is also fundamental. Just
look at how successful the Australians are in world sport.
I'm sure this will rub off on all of us."
Over the past two years British athletes have helped the
school to win the Great Public Schools Association (GPS) Swimming
Championships in Queensland. In 2004 Southport won the prize
for the first time in 82 years and this year went on to retain
the accolade.
* Australian Tim Kerrison has joined British Swimming. His
background is in biomechanics and exercise physiology, and
he joins from the Queensland Academy of Sport. Recently he
has worked with Australia's contingent of freestyle sprint
woman such as Lisbeth Lenton, Alice Mills and Jodie Henry.
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