Swimming Canada Hires Scott Talbot as Head of Vancouver High Performance Centre

Preliminary session 1 of Day 2 of the 2021 Swimming Canada Olympic Trials in Toronto, ON on Sunday, June 20, 2021. All images were taken while following social distancing protocols. Michael P. Hall/michaelphall.ca

Photo Courtesy: Michael P. Hall/Swimming Canada

Swimming Canada Hires Scott Talbot as Head of Vancouver High Performance Centre

Scott Talbot has been named by Swimming Canada as the performance head coach of its High Performance Centre in Vancouver, the organization announced Friday.

Talbot will take charge this fall. He was most recently the director of swimming and head coach of Repton Swimming Club in Derbyshire, England.

“As someone who works in swimming and knows the sport, it is easy to see the commitment from Swimming Canada to establish itself as one of the top swimming nations in the world,” Talbot said in a Swimming Canada release. “Personally, I am excited to have the opportunity work alongside some of the best support staff and coaches in the world.”

Talbot brings the best of all worlds, with experience as an international swimmer, a coaching lineage and experience with Canadian swimming.

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Scott Talbot; Photo Courtesy: Swimming New Zealand

The 41-year-old was born in Australia but spent much of his youth in Canada. He would go on to represent New Zealand internationally, swimming for the Kiwis at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. The national record holder won a bronze medal at the 2000 Oceania Swimming Championships and participated in the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships.

Talbot traces his coaching history to a pair of luminary parents: Don Talbot and Jan Cameron. Don, who died in 2020, coached the Australian men’s Olympic team from 1964-72, was with the U.S. for the boycotted 1980 Games, served as the inaugural director from 1980-83 at the Australian Institute for Sport (in Canberra, where Scott was born), coached Canada at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, then returned to lead Australia to the Sydney Games in 2000.

Cameron (nee Murphy), a silver medalist at the 1964 Games, was married to Don from 1973-89. Her international coaching began with the 1972 Paralympics for Australia. She followed Talbot to various coaching spots, and continued long after their marriage ended, in Australia and New Zealand, until her passing in 2018.

Scott Talbot’s coaching history includes as a high performance coach for Swimming New Zealand at two Olympics. He also worked in Australia, at Sydney University, Nunawading Swimming Club in Melbourne (where he produced three Olympians for the Tokyo Games) and at Swimming Australia’s High Performance Centre.

“Swimming Canada conducted an international search for coaching talent at our two High Performance Centres, and we are delighted to have Scott move into this role,” Swimming Canada High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson said. “He will bring a fresh drive and enthusiasm to build the centre to Paris 2024 and ultimately to Los Angeles 2028. As well as his own Olympic credentials, he has coached swimmers who have competed at the past four Olympic Games and has coached at five world championships. His experience will be a great asset for the Swimming Canada HPC-Vancouver.”

Scott Talbot said he maintained his connection to Canada despite living away from it for many years. He learned from his parents how to toggle between different cultures and maintain a connection with the needs of each.

“The two most important characteristics I learned from watching my parents operate were to be a great communicator and to work as a team in getting the best results,” Talbot said. “In swimming today, the most important quality for a high-level coach to have is to be a great communicator, and being able to use many different tools to get the best out of people. Also in today’s world, where the level of competition is so high, getting the best results are achieved through effective teamwork. Having a team of people around you who you can trust and deliver for one another will get you the result faster.”

Talbot takes over the Vancouver High Performance Centre, one of two that Swimming Canada runs. Opened in 1998, it’s been run on an interim basis by Martyn Wilby since June, when he took over for Brad Dingey. Wilby return to his role as senior coach, Olympic program, once Talbot takes the job.

Talbot will work closely with Ryan Mallette, who was named the High Performance Coach of HPC Ontario last month, replacing Swimming Canada’s head coach for the Tokyo Olympics, Ben Titley. Talbot has experience working with Tom Vandenbogaerde, who previously worked with Swimming New Zealand and was named a performance scientist coach this year. He’s part of a support staff that includes assistant coach Mandy Bell and performance analyst Graham Olson.

“The High Performance Centres in Ontario and Vancouver will be a key part of our national program strategy toward the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” Atkinson said. “The appointment of Scott along with Ryan Mallette’s recent confirmation as Performance Head Coach at the HPC-Ontario puts our Performance Head Coaches in place to lead the centres. There will now be a recruitment process undertaken for an Assistant Coach for the HPC-Ontario and more details will follow on this process.”

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WillaSwim

1 year ago

Great to hear! Good luck to the new center.

Mike Howes

1 year ago

And after getting rid of Titley now you have NO ONE at HPC Ontario. Smart move, and you have also turned off any swimmers or parents that might have considered putting swimmers in a HPC in Canada. Get rid of Atkinson.