More Aussie National Teamers Get Green Flag to Resume Training

Swimming gets off the blocks in steady restart - Photo Courtesy: MSAC - Delly Carr Collection

The next waves of Australian Dolphin elite swim squad members have finally received the go-ahead to return to training next week but under strict COVID-19 guidelines with pools on the east coast preparing to open their doors.

Leading coaches from around the country met via conference link with Swimming Australia yesterday to hear the final return details – including having one swimmer per lane and in cases where multiple squads attend the same pool, they will be forced to adhere to rostered start times.

With swimmers in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory back in full swing their counterparts in, Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania are about to follow suit – with the only delays coming in NSW, where opening times in several pools including the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre are yet to be finalised.

WHITE BOARD FEVER: Melbourne Vicente Head Coach Craig Jackson preparing to re-boot his program. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

It will be a “slow and steady” return following the distribution yesterday of the Swimming Australia – National Guidelines for Restoring Club Environments document which had to be presented to the various State Governments and Council and Health Authorities for approval.

Some programs, primarily outdoor pools, will return from Monday and Tuesday as coaches and swimmers finally get back to the business that for many will see them pick up their swimming bags for the first time in six weeks.

Instead of preparing for the now cancelled Sydney Open Meet this weekend en-route to the cancelled June Olympic Trials and July’s now postponed Olympics, Australian Dolphins will finally free themselves from Zoom Yoga sessions and back yard gym programs to re-surface into the swim of things and back with their squads as they prepare for the remainder of a 2020 none of them ever expected.

DIFFERENT STROKES: TSS Aquatic Head Coach Chris Nesbit will be looking forward to “catching” up with his squad. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia.

The Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, that hosts Glenn Baker and his Southport Olympic Club, will welcome Michael Bohl’s Griffith University Team as well as Chris Nesbit (pictured) and his team from The Southport School (TSS Aquatic) at staggered times from Tuesday while Craig Jackson will re-boot his charges at the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre with the Sleeman Aquatic Centre at Chandler also open for business with Vince Raleigh at the helm.

KEEPING TIME: Bond University Head Coach Richard Scarce will be back on deck on Monday. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

Squads at Bond University under Richard Scarce (pictured) and Sunshine Coast University under Chris Mooney and Nathan Doyle will re-start Monday. With Bohl waiting for his Griffith University facility to re-open in the coming week, his squad will remain somewhat incomplete but those Australian Dolphins who do make it back will be happy to be back in the water after a long lockdown.

“We are gearing up to get back in the water on Tuesday morning at Southport…not all my guys are back yet….Emma McKeon and David McKeon will stay in Wollongong until we are back at Griffith,” said Bohl.

“Because we will not be doing much the first week or two and with Emily Seebohm still living in Brisbane she will only come in twice and she will do a couple of sessions with Vince Raleigh at Chandler.

“We won’t have all hands on deck next week, it’s just going to be six out of our 10 squad members.

SAFE LANDING: Griffith University Head Coach Michael Bohl “starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.” Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

“But thanks to Swimming Australia who were able to negotiate a way forward with Gold Coast City Council at Southport; if we didn’t have Southport we’d still be swimming in the surf.

“Swimming Australia has been negotiating with Southport for quite some time to have the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre ready.

“And with the temperatures starting to drop and it’s now quite cool in the surf the kids are starting to freeze up a bit at around 21 degrees…

“We will have one swimmer per lane and we will come in at different times but we are certainly starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel…things are a lot more positive.”

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Leslie Cichocki

3 years ago

I hope Illinois is following right behind Australia and some other states Governor JB Pritzker

Gary Thompson

3 years ago

But not in the home of Australian Swimming – The Sunshine Coast