Hackett Decides to Switch Coaches

MELBOURNE, Australia, February 5. GRANT Hackett, gearing up the World Championships next month and the Olympics in Beijing in 2008, has decided on a major career change. Hackett has opted to leave his longtime coach, Denis Cotterell, and will begin working under Ian Pope in Melbourne. Hackett spent two months last year working with Pope. The change will come after the World Championships.

The move to Melbourne will also allow Hackett to live with his fiancee, Candice Alley, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald. Seeking a fifth consecutive world title in the 1,500 free and chasing a third straight win in the event in the Olympics, Hackett is taking a chance by leaving the coach he has known since childhood. Pope had Hackett discuss the move with Cotterell before agreeing to the switch.

"There are certain things I think we can improve on, the important thing for Grant is he swims well off confidence so looking at ways we can build his confidence and he gets confident from training well," Pope said. "We will be looking at his stroke and minor things we can get him better on turns and those minor things which add up over 1,500 (meters)."

Pope indicated that there would be a handful of changes to Hackett's training, but that sets Hackett used under Cotterell would be included. Michael Klim and Matt Welsh also train under Pope's watch.

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