SNZ recruits first class coach
Swimming New Zealand recruits world class coach
Swimming New Zealand has gained the services of one of Australia’s most successful coaches to guide the sport in this country to the 2012 London Olympics and beyond.
Mark Regan, who was head coach at the Australian Institute of Sport and Denmark, has taken up the position of head coach for Swimming New Zealand.
Regan takes over the role formerly held by Jan Cameron, the SNZ General Manager Performance and Pathways, who continued to handle the duties of head coach since taking up her new role last year.
SNZ has now attracted two world renowned coaches, who helped guide Australia to world superpower status in the pool, with Regan joining the legendary Don Talbot across the Tasman. The pair are charged with helping to develop and progress both swimmers and performances coaches, particularly in the South Island.
Cameron said she was delighted to have attracted such high calibre people to the New Zealand programme.
“For the last year I have been looking for someone who could add real value to our performance programme and with the help of Don Talbot we have managed to recruit Mark to help swimming in this country take the next step in elite and podium results,” Cameron said.
“I am extremely excited about Mark’s appointment. He is a hands-on coach who has had tremendous success in Australia but over the last six years has taken Denmark from relatively low world standing to Olympic and World Championship medals.
“I believe with his abilities and experience that he will be able to work with our coaches to achieve the same results in New Zealand.”
Regan coached the Cabramatta club near Sydney to national success before he was recruited by Talbot to the AIS in Canberra where he became head coach in 1998. An Olympic coach in Atlanta and Sydney, Regan gained acclaim with the likes of world and Olympic champion Petria Thomas and Justin Norris, an Olympic and world medallist, and triple Commonwealth gold medallist.
Regan became head coach for Denmark in 2002 guiding that country out of swimming obscurity with a medal at the Beijing Olympics and two medals at last year’s world championships. He returned home with his family to Australia last year.
Cameron said they would continue to also utilise the specialist skills of Talbot, who is primarily working to develop the coaching expertise in the South Island, but is also mentoring the current New Zealand team coaches Thomas Ansorg (International Performance Centre) and Scott Talbot (North Shore Swimming).
Regan took up his position on 5 January 2010 and has been signed for a three year term.
For interviews contact:
Jan Cameron
General Manager, Performance & Pathways
Swimming New Zealand
Tel 0273 112299
For further information contact:
Ian Hepenstall
Media Manager, Swimming NZ
Sports Media NZ Ltd
Tel 09 2327822
Mob 0275 61`3181
E: ian@sportsmedianz.com
Skype: kiwiheps
