Top coach extends stay with Swim Rotorua

Alastair Johnson has signed on with Swim Rotorua for a further four years. Photo/Stephen Parker

Swim Rotorua has secured the services of top coach Alastair Johnson for a further four years, it announced today.

Johnson is one of New Zealand's top ranked coaches being one of a small number of gold accredited coaches in the country and recently coached the New Zealand Age Group team in Australia.

He has been with Rotorua's swimming club since the end of 2012.

In that time he has helped put Rotorua back on the swimming map leading the club to many successes with a number of New Zealand representatives, countless records broken, a top 15 place at the New Zealand Age Group Champs, and a Westpac Business Excellence award.

Currently Swim Rotorua is a finalist for the Bay of Plenty Sports Club of the Year.

Alastair Johnson.

Johnson has also filled the role of technical adviser to the new Rotorua Lakes Swim School operating at the Rotorua Aquatic Centre.

"Keeping Alastair in Rotorua is huge for swimming in our district and we look forward to building our partnership even further with Swim Rotorua to help our young swimmers meet their goals," said Aquatic Centre Manager David Pearce.

Johnson is even more ambitious for the next four years wanting to build on the partnership with the Rotorua Aquatic Centre to establish Rotorua as a swimming centre of excellence, to continue to take swimming out to the entire Rotorua community, and help reverse adverse drowning statistics.

A big priority is to see further Rotorua athletes on the podium at national and international events and with the Tokyo Olympics four years away, the sky is the limit.