Swimming: Elite need more help says coach

By DANIEL GILHOOLY

ATHENS - Anyone good enough to reach the Olympic swimming semifinals should get the bulk of attention from New Zealand sports funders, says team coach Jan Cameron.

For the second consecutive Olympic Games, New Zealand failed to field a swimmer in a final but Cameron couldn't conceal her delight at what she felt was a huge improvement from Sydney four years ago.

She pointed to five of her 13-strong team ranking in the top-16 as a sign that depth and quality was improving.

"You must understand how extraordinarily improved this group is, they've done a fantastic job really," said Cameron.

"And at the Olympics four years ago we only had Vivienne Rignall in the top 16, who was really a foreigner, a ring-in.

"We've moved up on quite a lot of people and we need to keep moving up."

Cameron said berths in the Beijing Olympic finals were within the capability of the present group and finals and medals were expected at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

The key to further improvement was adopting the philosophy of Australia when it began to rebuild as a swimming power 20 years ago, she said. It involved a significant funding increase for swimmers who proved they were among the top 16 in the world.

If they reached the top eight they would receive another funding top-up and so on.

"Everybody understands accountability and that you don't get money for nothing but they wouldn't think of it as a reward.

"They think 'right, I've earned that, now how can I get into the next zone'," she said.

"To me, top 16 in the world is an outstanding measure. In some cases there are 70 people in your event, I don't think people realise that sort of thing."

The sport had lifted from a grim start to 2004, when it was revealed Swimming New Zealand hadn't renewed its funding contract with national sports funding agency Sparc. Soon afterwards chief executive Catriona McBean resigned amid claims of internal conflict at the top.

Cameron said she had received several emails in recent days from a delighted SNZ president John West and McBean's replacement Paul Veric.

"They're anxious to see the sport go forward and understand what that involves. It's quite encouraging really," Cameron said.

She picked out Corney Swanepoel's performance as her highlight among many. For an 18-year-old in his second major international meet, he had shown maturity that promised plenty more.

However, she warned that heavy expectations heaped on individuals wasn't helpful.

"We're not talking about a one-off Danyon Loader, we're talking about a team of young men and women at mostly their first Olympics," she said.

"Waiting until somebody's No 1 in the world is pretty silly because how many people are going to get there?

"As a country, we need to be happy with the vast improvements that we've made at world level."

At least five of the squad won't get a rest after the Games.

Helen Norfolk, Scott Talbot-Gibson and Cameron Gibson may yet be joined by others to compete at the world short-course championships at Indianapolis in October.

Moss Burmester, Dean Kent, and Olympic canoeist Steven Ferguson, will compete at the world surf lifesaving championships in Italy next month.

Swanepoel returns to New Zealand to complete school exams and then prepare for the youth Commonwealth Games.

Semis success

Helen Norfolk, 200m freestyle, 400m individual medley.

Dean Kent, 200m individual medley.

Hannah McLean, 200m backstroke.

Moss Burmester, 200m butterfly.

Corney Swanepoel, 100m butterfly.

- NZPA