Jul - Aug 2002 View the PDF - Swimnews Online

More documents

Recommendations

Info

4REALITY CHECKCANADA BOTTOMS OUT AT COMMONWEALTH GAMESNikki DrydenIt has been 44 years since Canada failed to win a goldmedal in swimming at the Commonwealth Games, butthat is not the worst statistic. Even with an additional 30medals up for grabs in the pool, Canada’s medal total wentfrom 20 in 1998 to 18 in 2002. Six of those 18 medals werein events for swimmers with a disability (SWAD), meaningthe Canadian able-bodied team only won 12 medals: 5 inrelays and 7 in individual events.Perpetual RebuildingThere are some promising new swimmers; Laura Pomeroyand Mike Brown are two of the latest stars to find success,but we say that every year. How many times can we hearthat this is a rebuilding phase or that there are some greatyoung swimmers with lots of potential? We have beenhearing the same story spun for almost a decade now andwe have only gotten worse.In 1994, after the Commonwealth Games in Victoria,Swim Magazine published an article about thecompetition. The first paragraph quoted Dave Johnson,Canadian head coach and coach of high performanceservices: “We got buried by the Aussies, and if I don’t dosomething about it very soon, I won’t be here for verylong.”Eight long years later, we have nothing to show forour efforts. Any short-lived moments of success from JenButton, Mike Mintenko, or Brian Johns were overshadowedby the 14 fourth-place finishes and zero gold medals wehad at the Commonwealth Games.SWAD Were the Stars of the MeetIn 1000 words, we cannot attempt to answer the question,“What went wrong?” That story will be told in the future,but what can be mentioned now are some of this summer’sfailings. First, there was the disastrous idea of splitting theteam into two and sending “Group One” on a pre-meettraining camp in Luxembourg while “Group Two” wassent straight to Manchester. Group Two did not include anofficial able-bodied coach, and included the entire SWADteam. Arguably the five SWAD swimmers were the stars ofthe meet, winning six medals, but none were consideredGroup One material. The effects of separating the teamhad humiliating results, with the swimmers left out of thetraining camp calling themselves the “B” team. If thoseswimmers were not good enough to go to training camp,why did they go to the Commonwealth Games at all?For several nights after the conclusion of the finals,the Canadian team had a meeting on pool deck. As eachday passed, the swimmers looked more and more dejected,exhausted, and disillusioned. All the while the pressurebegan to grow inside the team over who would saveCanada and win that elusive gold. Swimmer after swimmerwould walk through the media zone apologizing for notbringing home gold after being asked if they felt pressureto win one for the team.Selection ControversyAlso to be considered was the dark cloud that moved inover the country months before the meet began and hungover the team for the entire competition. Still fresh ineveryone’s mind was the selection controversy that delayedthe official team announcement for over three months.Nadine Rolland (who qualified for the team on legaltechnicalities rather than on performance) and JenniferCarroll openly disrespected and broke team rulesthroughout the course of the competition, causing muchunrest and disruption for the coaching staff, management,and swimmers. Rolland, outside the athlete protocol,misrepresented herself to the media as a coach, a teammanager, and a media attache, as well as broke curfew.Carroll carried the Quebec flag onto the podium to receiveher silver medal in the 50 back. While Carroll told teamofficials it was merely an innocent gesture to thank thepeople of Quebec, her behaviour was a slap in the face toher teammates. The incident was reported and will beexamined by the high performance committee for possibledisciplinary action.While this kind of conduct is without excuse, themere fact that it occurred is evidence of a far greaterproblem. The rules keep changing and seem to beconvenient for each swimmer or each coach. Subjectivityreigns supreme, and thus everyone falls into the party lineto avoid reprisal, but what has emerged is a nation ofswimmers and coaches creating themselves in the sameshape and size, everyone afraid to colour outside the lines.This approach has made us weak and we have been leftbehind the rest of the world because of it. For proof, weneed only watch the last five metres of our races when timeand again we get passed under the flags or finish in fourth.Everyone is ResponsibleAfter the Commonwealth Games, Dave Johnson sat downwith SwimNews and acknowledged that we did not swimwell. “The team did not execute in the finals, we oftenlooked promising in the prelims or semis, but when wewere required to step to the next level, we couldn’t.”Johnson continued, “Our fitness levels and preparationwere not there, and we were not competitive.”The responsibility for our poor performance, Johnsonsaid, falls on everyone’s shoulders. “The coaches need totake some of the responsibility for the way their athletesperformed. The athletes, as well, need to take accountabilityfor their swims, and so does SNC.”Johnson went on to explain that a lack of funding hascontributed to the way Canadian swimming has beenfunctioning in the past four years, and that the job he washired to do had been supplanted by administrative jobsthat kept him off the pool deck where he is needed.However, he did not use poor finances as a crutch. “Wecan’t make excuses (about lack of funding), we have tofind a way. We have to create a situation where everyonetakes responsibility for swimming fast.”Johnson explained that on April 8, 2002, SNCrestructured itself, creating a technical operationdepartment that would be focused on the administrativeand funding side of the job that he had been doing for thepast few years. “We also made a clear decision that medalsmatter.”“There is a limited vision in Canada that coachesbring to the table. They need to motivate athletes to becompetitive at higher levels. The kids are soft, and theresponsibility lies in the coaching area.” This problemstems from our belief that winning a national title is theend-all in this sport. “There is the overblown nature of thenational title or quality performance. There is not enoughof a comprehension of what is a quality performance. Wehave to be careful when we say someone did a really fasttime, because it wasn’t a fast time. We need to communicatemore realistically with our swimmers.”Raising the BarWell, the reality check has been written and if we do not getit now, then we never will. The Olympic standards have notyet been published but most likely swimmers will have toswim FINA “A” times to make the team in 2004. That meansno free ticket as a relay alternate, no token ride in the 50sof stroke, and no Olympic rings for winners in weak events;only world-class swimmers will be going to Athens.“We are going to raise the bar. The selection criteriaare going to be a lot more difficult, probably the FINA ‘A’times,” said Johnson. “If only ten people make it, that’sfine, but I think they’ll lift themselves up.”In that same Swim Magazine article from 1994,Johnson also said, “Some of these kids were just happy tomake the team. Club coaches have to have a better vision ofwhat world swimming is all about.” Certainly we cannotbelieve that, eight years later, nothing has been done toteach swimmers and coaches about world swimming.Raising the bar will need to be done at every level ofswimming in this country if we are going to surface fromthe depth of our worst-ever plunge. There are moreproblems that need discussing, dirty laundry that needsairing, and people that need to be held to task. We cannotafford to brush under the carpet our poor performancesfrom the Commonwealth Games, despite what some maybelieve. If we had had this discussion in 2000, we would notbe where we are today.SWIMNEWS / JULY-AUGUST 2002
ABOUT THIS ISSUEOur biggest issue of recent years was needed to coverall the major competitions during July and August.First up was the Commonwealth Games inManchester, July 30-August 4. Nikki Dryden was thereto cover the ups and downs of these Games held everyfour years. The once-intense Australia vs Canadarivalry is now a thing of the past. Many questions areraised in Nikki’s Realty Check on page 4. There is littleindication that anything will change.Canadian Nationals followed one day after theconclusion in Manchester. Not only was this a largetime-change and barely allowed travel time for thosewho wished to compete in Victoria, but the topswimmers didn’t have to take part, devaluing Canada’schampionships. A team of 36 (12 to be selected inVictoria) were to compete at Pan Pacs later in Japan.Last issue we told about Michael Phelps; in thisissue we explain where he was developed—the NorthBaltimore Aquatic Club, where Murray Stephens hasturned an original investment of $5,000 into severalmillions while developing five Olympic gold medalwinners!Phelps was one of the superstars at US Nationals,with a World and three American records, whileNatalie Coughlin swam under the minute for 100back and won five events, including a sweep of the100 free, back, and butterfly.The European Championships in Berlin weretaking place at the same time as Commonwealthsand they were a much faster competition with fiveWorld, 11 European, and 34 Championship records.Our coverage starts on page 41.Pan Pacs follow on page 48, the big meet for theAmericans as they soundly trounced Australia 52 to28 medals. There was only one World record in themen’s 4x100 medley (there were 10 four years ago)but 15 Canadian records in 10 events were the finaltally. Canada turned itself around and swam muchbetter in Yokohama than in Manchester. But that’s astatistic; the reality is that they got three individualbronze medals in 28 events, with an additional fourrelay thirds.Results of each competition are also available inan easy-to-read format. In addition we also publishYouth and Junior National results.TAG times are up to date from all receivedresults. We know of a number of missing meets. It’snot too late as we still have more time to updaterankings. We can’t rank’em if we don’t have’em!World Cups have been reduced to seven meets asMontreal (CAN) and Imperia (ITA) have droppedout. The cost and benefits did not add up. Edmontonspent over $400,000 last November when they hostedthe Canadian World Cup.CALENDARCANADIANOctober26 TAS SR Circuit 1, Victoria, BC26-27 Goldfin Invitational, Saskatoon, SKNovember1-2 UBC Colleges Cup, Vancouver, BC2-3 Hyack Invitational, New Westminster, BC8-10 Island Pacific Cup, Victoria, BCDecember28-1 Winter Nationals, Edmonton, AB6-8 NYAC Youth Cup, ON6-8 Kamloops Ice Classic, BC13-15 Ontario SC Seniors, Nepean2003January11-12 TAS SR Circuit 2, Richmond, BC19-20 Hyack Invitational, New Westminster, BC24-26 Canada West Championships24-26 ROD Invitational, Regina, SK24-26 Ontario Cup 2, GuelphFebruary6-9 Man/Sask Championships, Winnipeg, MB7-9 TAS BC Senior Championships, Vancouver, BC20-23 Eastern Canadian Championships, London, ON20-23 Western Canadian Championships, Regina, SK21-23 CIS Interuniversity Champs, Victoria, BC27-2 Ontario Junior/SWAD, NepeanMarch28-2 Nova Scotia AG Championships28-2 Alberta AG Championships6-9 TAS BC Championships8-9 Alberta SR Championships14-16 Canada CupApril4-6 Limpert Team Championships, NB12-13 Richmond West Coast, BC18-20 Island Invitational, Victoria, BC25-27 Ontario Div.1 Teams, EtobicokeOntario Div.2 Teams, Thunder BayOntario Div.3 Teams, SudburyMay3-4 Alberta Open17-19 Hyack Invitational, New Westminster, BC23-25 New Brunswick Championships23-25 Mel Zajac International, Vancouver, BC30-1 Ontario Cup, LondonJune30-1 ROD Classic, Regina, SK6-8 Ken Dunn Championships, Halifax, NS6-8 Kamloops Classic, BC13-15 Moose Jaw Invitational, SK20-22 Island Invitational, Victoria, BC25-29 World and Pan Am Trials, Victoria, BC26-29 Man/Sask Championships, Regina, SK27-29 Ontario Junior/SWAD, BrantfordJuly4-6 East Coast Championships, NB4-6 Alberta SR Championships10-13 TAS BC Championsnhips11-13 Alberta AG Championships24-27 Club Nationals, MontrealNovember27-30 Winter Nationals2004February19-22 Eastern Canadian Nationals19-22 Western Canadian Nationals20-22 CIS Interuniversity ChampsINTERNATIONALSeptember23-28 FINA Open Water Championships, EGYOctober1-16 Asian Games, Pusan, KORNovember23-7 Central American & Caribbean Games, San Salvador15-17 World Cup 1, Rio de Janeiro, BRA22-23 World Cup 2, New York, USADecember1-2 World Cup 3, Shanghai, CHN6-8 World Cup 4, Melbourne, AUS12-15 European SC Championships, Riesa, GER2003January8-17 Australian Youth Festival, Sydney17-18 World Cup 5, Paris, FRA21-22 World Cup 6, Stockholm, SWEUNITED STATESNovember22-23 World Cup 2, East Meadow, NYDecember5-7 U.S. Open, Minneapolis, MN2003March20-22 Women’s NCAA Championships, Auburn, AB27-29 Men’s NCAA Championships, Austin, TXApril1-5 Spring Nationals, Indianapolis, INJune19-22 Disability Championships, Minneapolis, MNAugust5-9 Summer Nationals, College Park, MDDecember4-6 US Open, Federal Way, WA2004July7-14 US Olympic Trials, Long Beach, CASWIMNEWS / JULY-AUGUST 20025
Page 1 and 2: COMMONWEALTH GAMESPAN PACIFIC CHAMP
Page 3: N. J. Thierry, Editor & PublisherMa
Page 8 and 9: ZIMBABWE’S FIRST GOLDNikki Dryden
Page 10 and 11: MAKING A DAILY DIFFERENCE,CHANGING
Page 12: Multi Disabilty 100 free Canadian m
Page 15 and 16: from the Games, where she broke the
Page 17 and 18: 2002 COMMONWEALTH GAMESManchester,
Page 19 and 20: 4 1:09.63 White Tarnee,81,AUS5 1:09
Page 21 and 22: 7) 26.99 Jennifer Porenta,17,MMST-T
Page 23 and 24: 4) 53.43 Daniel Petrus,84,UBCD5) 53
Page 25 and 26: COLWIN ON COACHINGALL ROADS LEAD TO
Page 27 and 28: Making Pool Space PayStephens reali
Page 29: ackstroke events. Whitney Metzler q
Page 32 and 33: 322002 US SUMMER NATIONALSFort Laud
Page 34 and 35: TOP AGE GROUP TIMESBOYS 11 Years of
Page 40 and 41: TOP AGE GROUP TIMESWOMEN 17-and old
Page 42 and 43: taking the lead on the last length.
Page 44 and 45: 44German star Thomas RupprathSweden
Page 46 and 47: 2002 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPSBerlin (
Page 48: 2002 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPSAMERI
Page 51 and 52: Five medals for soon-to-be doctor J
Page 53 and 54: 14 57.05 Hunt Cassie,82,AUS15 57.59
Page 55:
SWIMNEWS / JULY-AUGUST 200255
show all

Jul - Aug 2002 View the PDF - Swimnews Online

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?