News & Articles

Swimmer-Coach Duo Ready for the next big step

OTTAWA – As they seek to compare themselves to the best in the world, swimmer Mehdi Ayoubi and coach Greg Arkhurst have their sights set on France’s Cercle des nageurs de Marseille, home of two-time Olympic medalist Florent Manaudou.  For Ayoubi and Arkhurst, the recipients of the 2016-17 Jeno Tihanyi Memorial Bursary, they are aiming to expand their knowledge and to gain confidence as they attempt to take the next step forward together.

The Jeno Tihanyi Bursary is awarded to a coach-athlete tandem who work together to achieve ambitious goals. The bursary acknowledges the potential for high performance through the financial support of training, as well as competitive and professional development opportunities. Although it was not awarded for the 2015-16 season, it was relaunched this year and Ayoubi and Arkhurst are the first recipients since its reinstatement.

Ayoubi and Arkhurst have built a very strong relationship since they have met. Though they share a passion for swimming, their personal connection reaches far beyond the sport. Having both migrated to Canada from Africa, Arkhurst said: “Our African origins and our experience as immigrants bring us even closer.” When speaking on the importance of the athlete-coach relationship, he also had this to say: “As a coach, I believe that one of the keys for success in sport of high level is the relationships between the coach and the athlete.” He describes Ayoubi as a very determined individual and he recognizes his potential as a swimmer and as a person. Arkhurst is embracing the role as his educator-coach and he acknowledges the impact he can have on the young man’s development.

With the help of the bursary, coach Arkhurst and Ayoubi plan to visit Romain Barnier’s program in the Cercle des nageurs de Marseille, in France. Barnier, coach of two-time Olympic medalist Florent Manaudou, is a successful international sprint coach and Arkhurst believes the training would be beneficial to both Ayoubi and himself. He would also love to experience different training sites to see how they compare to other swimmers and coaches.

National Development Coach Ken McKinnon was impressed by the applications he received for the bursary this year. He said: “We had 9 applications this year and I felt it was a strong field and a difficult decision to make as a result.”

Dr. Jeno Tihanyi or “Doc” left an invaluable legacy to amateur sport in Canada.  Doc’s coaching career in Canadian swimming spanned a remarkable 51 years.  He was well known for his popular coaching philosophy not to push performance, but rather push improvement. Doc always demonstrated his ability to teach, coach, mentor, and lead. The Dr. Jeno Tihanyi Bursary was established to remember Doc, his contribution to competitive swimming in Canada, and to encourage other coaches and swimmers to work closely together toward excellence. The Awards Committee felt that this year’s recipients, Mehdi Ayoubi and Greg Arkhurst, embodied Doc’s vision and coaching philosophies.