Australian swimmers search for clues to success
Julian Linden
Australia’s elite swimmers will be scattered around the globe over
the next two months as part of a detailed scientific experiment to get
the best results out of altitude training.
Australia have traditionally sent their top swimmers to a single
training camp before major international meets but this time have
decided to split them up in the lead-up to this year’s world
championships in Rome.
Some groups will be sent to train and compete in the United States at
Flagstaff, Arizona while others will go to European training centres at
Sierra Nevada, Barcelona, Paris and northern Italy, where the Australian
Institute of Sport (AIS) has an overseas base. The remaining swimmers
will stay at home, training at sea-level or the high-altitude simulation
rooms at the AIS headquarters in Canberra.
Some of the foreign-based swimmers will return home before travelling
to Europe while the home-based swimmers will travel to Europe at
different times, to train and compete at different altitudes for
different lengths of time. Australia’s head swim coach Alan Thompson
said the swimmers would be closely monitored over the coming months with
the results likely to provide clues into the best ways to prepare them
for future international meets.
“It’s going to be difficult to keep an eye on everyone that’s for
sure, but the opportunity to train and compete in these different
environments ahead of the world championships was just too good to pass
up,” Australia’s head coach Alan Thompson said in a statement on
Wednesday.
“In terms of the altitude study we’re really interested in what
results we’ll get there.
“Three groups will be replicating similar training, testing and
racing programs at three different locations, at similar altitudes and
then taper accordingly going into Rome.
“To be able to compare the results over three different groups at the
same time, will give us like-for-like analysis and this type of study is
a first for the Dolphins (Australian swim team).”
SYDNEY, Reuters
|
