By Dave Crampton, Swimming World Contributor.
Swimming New Zealand has announced changes to its national squad structure, and will reduce its three national squads to two.
The National team, headed by new head coach Jerry Olszewski, will require FINA ‘B’ times, and is targeted towards swimmers aiming to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Nearly half the current Tokyo squad, limited to those aged 22 years and under, will be living and competing in Australia or the United States. Some, such as Olympian Emma Robinson, will exit the squad next year upon turning 23.
“In my first six weeks here we have spent many hours putting together a squad plan and National Team criteria that is workable and lets all New Zealand athletes participate in their national championships, trials and national team activities,” Olszewski said.
However, the 2017 New Zealand Open championships are to be held just over a week after the 2017 National Age Grade championships conclude, meaning swimmers cannot use NAGs to qualify for Opens.
This year, the New Zealand Open competition doubled as Olympic trials, and was held just 48 hours after NCAA finals. Trials had to be held in two different countries and New Zealand was unable to field a relay team.
The national development team merges the development team and talent ID squads, and accepts teenagers on a progressive scale of FINA points, from 600 FINA points for younger swimmers to 720 points for older swimmers, irregardless of the stroke or the distance. This team is headed by coach Gary Hurring.
“We have ensured that the new squad system does not exclude our younger swimmers, but instead incorporates the umbrella of the National development squad,” Hurring said in a note to the swimming community.
While the new structure will make it easier for some swimmers to be selected in the development team, particularly females, due to the FINA threshold changes, swimmers who focus on strokes such as butterfly will find it harder. Currently, there are no specialist male butterflyers in the development teams.
There will also be opportunity for coaches to apply for support roles. “These will provide excellent development, educational and succession planning opportunities,” Hurring wrote.
Swimming New Zealand’s CEO Scott Newman has refused media requests for further comment on the changes or on Swimming New Zealand’s programme.
Selection meets for the teams will be next year’s NAG championships in both New Zealand and Australia, and the NZ Open championships. Promising swimmers who don’t make the cut can be selected on a wildcard basis, based on a system of talent identification that includes factors such as attitude, technique, maturity, competitiveness, and willingness to learn. This may prevent situations where top NAG butterflyers and New Zealand NAG record breakers miss out on selection, as occurred this year.
Open water swimmers will be included in the national team should they place top 10 at the Australian Open Water championships in January, or finish within a minute of the winner.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
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