One of New Zealand’s top swimming coaches Graeme Laing took a weekend training session for junior swimmers at Fiordland Community Pool.
The Matamata Swimming Club coach works with top swimmers Matamata's Matthew Stanley and Auckland's Lauren Boyle, but still finds time to visit the south.
Graeme Laing reached the pinnacle of his career in 2016, as assistant coach of the New Zealand swimming team at Rio Olympics. He was also assistant coach of the New Zealand swimming team for the World Swimming Championships in August 2015.
He was based in Dunedin when he first came down south, where he coached and taught swimming in Dunedin for 20 years with his father Duncan Laing. He is now is in Matamata, which is a lot further to come.
His latest visit saw 64 swimmers ranging from six to 15-year-old taken for four training sessions.
He adapts it to whatever the children need, and they are put in groups beforehand. He teaches all age groups, just a brilliant coach and the kids really respond to him. The swimmers have four lessons over the course of a weekend, and having that group together improves their ability.
“Fiordland Swimming Club sponsor the weekend of training and Grant and Illeana Taylor of Fiordland Lakeview Apartments & Motel sponsor his accommodation”, Club President Helen Newcombe said.
Laing has been visiting Te Anau to teach swimmers since 2010, after he was asked to visit and coach at the pool.
The club have good numbers here, and are surrounded by lakes and rivers, with most people wanting their kids to swim.
“He has been going to Blackmount Pool near Tuatapere each summer for a week, for years now and some of our swimmers would go down for that, and one time someone asked him to come to Fiordland and he has been every November for past six years”, said Newcombe.
Laing's late father Duncan coached Olympian Danyon Loader, winner of two gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and a silver medal at Barcelona in 1992, and Philip Rush, current world record holder for the fastest two and three way swim of the English Channel.
