Swimmers sample top-class coaching

Young swimmers in Greenwich will this month get an opportunity to hone their technique with three masterclass coaching sessions run by coaches who have trained Olympic and Paralympic medal winners.

The three sessions – which must be booked in advance – are aimed at swimmers aged 8 to 18 and are being hosted by Greenwich Council and Greenwich Leisure Ltd at the Waterfront Leisure Centre, Woolwich, on Sunday 24 February. Download a flyer with details

The sessions will be run by Doug Campbell, who began work last month in a key role to improve swimming in the Borough and to increase participation in the sport. Doug’s career has included coaching the England team for the World Grand Prix Series and coaching the Great Britain team for the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996.

Doug will be joined for the masterclass by Paralympic coach Michelle Weltman who helped coach Britain’s Paralympic swimmers in the 2000 Games at Sydney and 2004 Games in Athens.

During the afternoon the Council will be seeking the views of parents and carers on a new structure to improve the support offered to swimmers in the Borough - from high-achieving competition swimmers to enthusiastic beginners. With Doug Campbell playing a key coordinating role, the Council is working to establish a coordinated structure across all pools in the Borough for supporting and developing swimming, from grassroots to elite.

Cllr John Fahy, Greenwich Council Cabinet member for Culture and the Olympics, said, “We are delighted to have Doug Campbell in his new role of developing swimming opportunities in the Borough. With his input we can expect a steady improvement in competitive swimming in the Borough leading up to 2012, and next week’s Masterclass offers a chance for young swimmers to get a taste of what’s going to be on offer in the months and years ahead.

We have some excellent swimming facilities across the borough – including the new eight-lane pool opened recently at Eltham. We owe it to our swimmers of all ages to put those facilities to the best possible use, both in encouraging more families to learn to swim, and in maximising the opportunities for competition swimmers".