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Swimming Canada continues to streamline High Performance Network

News –

VICTORIA – In an effort to better focus and balance resources, Swimming Canada’s Olympic program will be investing in two High Performance Centres for the coming quadrennial.

The increased focus on the HPC-Ontario and HPC-Vancouver will result in the HPC-Victoria and Victoria NextGen programs closing at the conclusion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“Swimming Canada wants to ensure we have a robust High Performance Network across the country: for east and west, male and female, distance and sprint swimmers. We have to look at future athletes in centres, the resourcing that’s available, and all the considerations that go into how we best do that,” said High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson. “Focusing our investment on two High Performance Centres – one in the eastern part of the country, and one in the west – will allow Swimming Canada to continue to succeed in the coming years.”

Last month Swimming Canada announced that HPC-Victoria Head Coach Ryan Mallette would be moving to Toronto to take on the new role of Associate Head Coach at HPC-Ontario. Victoria NextGen Program Lead Coach Brad Dingey will be acting in the capacity of head coach of both programs until their conclusion. Atkinson and CEO Ahmed El-Awadi met with Victoria staff, swimmers and partners Thursday to discuss plans to support them for the coming Olympic year.

“The Victoria athletes will continue to receive support from coach Brad Dingey, Swimming Canada Senior Coach Martyn Wilby, and a world-class integrated support team,” Atkinson said.

The group includes double world junior backstroke champion Jade Hannah, two-time world championship medallist Eric Hedlin, Pan Am Games medallists Danielle Hanus, Faith Knelson and Jeremy Bagshaw, and Pan Pacific Championships medallist Mackenzie Padington.

“The Victoria centre has had some successful results over the years, now the time is right to best position ourselves for Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028,” Atkinson said.

“We would like to thank every staff member, service provider and volunteer who has supported the centre for all the years of great work they have put in to developing Canadian swimmers,” El-Awadi said.