Australian Life Saving Team Injects Australian Swim Team Members Into Team

Photo Courtesy: Australian Lifesaving

MONTPELLIER, France, September 15. THE Australian Life Saving Team will have the golden touches of the Australian Swim Team tucked away in its game plan when it embarks on a campaign to re-establish its top international billing at this week’s Lifesaving World Championships, Rescue 2014 in France.

The National Teams Championships gets underway on Wednesday (Thursday morning AEST) with two days of pool competition at the Antigone Olympic Pool in Montpellier, before two days of ocean/beach competition, starting Saturday at Le Couchant Beach, La Grande Motte.

Australia will be represented in both the National Team and National Youth (Under 19) categories and the Open Team will be out to erase the memory of its defeat at the hands of New Zealand at Rescue 2012 in Adelaide while the Youth Team will be out to maintain its world dominance.

For the Youth team, its campaign begins on the beach for two days on Thursday before switching to the pool.

Australia’s campaign has been 18 months in the making with Head Coach Danny Short not leaving a stone unturned in his efforts to put Australia back on top on the world.

The teams’ campaign included engaging the services of Australian Swim Team head coach Jacco Verhaeren at one of the team’s key training camps on the Gold Coast while champion Ironwoman Kristyl Smith, on her fifth World Championship team, has been under the watchful eye of National Swim Team coach Richard Scarce.

Verhaeren, the Dutchman who steered Pieter van den Hoogenband to three Olympic gold medals, has added the finishing touches to the Australian relay team’s changeovers for the all-important pool lifesaving events.

He is regarded as one of the best technical coaches in world swimming and will be charge of Australia’s Olympic campaign for Rio.

Short said he was thankful and equally impressed with Verhaeren’s enthusiasm and techniques.

“It was a privilege to have Jacco attend a camp where we were able to brush up on our pool lifesaving relay changes and he addressed the team as well, which was a real bonus for the guys,” said Short.

“It was a major coup and I know everyone was excited to have him there.”

But for Smith, training in the pool at Palm Beach Currumbin under Scarce – and alongside Olympian and Pan Pac and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Cameron McEvoy – has breathed a new lease of life into her swimming.

Smith’s main event in the pool will be the 200m Obstacle Swim and she recently swam a personal best time.

“I actually swam a quicker time this year than I did two years ago for my 200m, even though I would still like to get down a little bit lower…but I’m on the right track, I’m expecting big things from not only myself but the team as well,” said Smith, who also play a key role in all the Ocean events and the beach relay.

“Richard has been great; I’ve got a new motivation in my swimming as well.

“There were weeks when I was doing up to nine swim sessions a week and purely concentrating on my swimming rather than the ski and board and I have found that my swim fitness is definitely helping out on the craft.

“You can really learn a thing or two from those world class swimmers, especially Cameron McEvoy who is just so methodical in everything that he does; the little things like your turns and your finishes; always finish on the wall; your starts and always picking up little things, here and there.

“It’s something I have never really done before, I’ve never had to concentrate on those tiny little skills in the pool.

“A better start, a better turn, a better finish can mean up to a second in my 200m race so it’s definitely been inspiring to swim with that crew and hopefully I will see the rewards this week.

“I have set my goal to make the A final in the 200m and follow it through for the rest of the competition; that’s the first event so the aim is to get off to a good start and set a good precedent for the rest of the team.”

“I always give it 100 percent every time I wear the green and gold cap because you don’t know whether this will be your last team or whether there will be more to come but I’ll be giving this everything I’ve got.”

The Australian Lifesaving Team, World Life Saving Championships, Rescue 2014, Montpellier-La Grande-Motte, France, September 13-26, 2014:

Men – Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe SLSC) Captain, Andrew Bowden (Bronte (SLSC/ The Hills Life Saving Club) Jake Lynch (Newport SLSC) Ryan Napoleon (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Tim Schofield (Terrigal SLSC / The Hills Life Saving Club), Lachlan Tame (Avoca Beach SLSC).

Women – Miranda Bell (Northcliffe SLSC), Naomi Flood (Manly LSC), Pamela Hendry (Maroochydore SLSC / Brisbane Life Saving), Melissa Howard (Kurrawa SLSC), Christina Ruiz (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Kristyl Smith (Northcliffe SLSC).

Australian Youth Lifesaving Team, World Life Saving Championships, Rescue 2014, Montpellier-La Grande-Motte, France, September 13-26, 2014:

Men – Joshua Brown (Byron Bay SLSC), Daniel Collins (Redhead SLSC), Matt Davis (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Jason Gough (Mooloolaba SLSC), Nik Green (Alexandra Headlands SLSC), Brad Woodward (Shelley Beach SLSC / The Hills Life Saving Club).

Women – Prue Davies (Currumbin SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Chelsea Gillett (Maroochydore SLSC / Brisbane Life Saving), Ela Heiniger (Byron Bay SLSC / Port Hacking Lifeguard Club), Nicole Kay (Mooloolaba SLSC), Alyssa Koenan (Northcliffe SLSC), Georgia Miller (Manly LSC).

Team Management and Traveling Staff: Head Coach: Danny Short (Maroochydore SLSC), Team Manager: Keith Caldwell (Bulli SLSC), Assistant Coach: Wade Sinclair (Picnic Bay SLSC), Physiotherapy: Nick Marshall (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park SLSC), Sport Science/ Assistant Manager: Elise Bateman. Beach Coach: Martin Lynch (Newport SLSC)

Australian Youth Lifesaving Team Management: Head Coach: Brett Dowker (Currumbin SLSC), Team Manager: Garry Mensforth (Umina SLSC), Assistant Coach: Craig Holden (Elliot Heads SLSC), Physiotherapy: Troy Eady (Byron Bay SLSC), Beach Coach: Martin Lynch (Newport SLSC).

Travelling staff members: Kitty Chiller – SLSA GM Capacity & Capability (Female Athlete Liaison – Australian Youth Lifesaving Team), Nathan Hight – SLSA Sport Manager (CEO’s Representative, Australian Lifesaving Team and Youth Lifesaving Team.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World. To reach our audience, contact us at newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com.

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