This fall, Austrian Olympian Felix Auboeck will be joining the Loughborough University training group and studying at the school in England.
Auboeck confirmed the news to SwimSwam in an interview this week. (Stay tuned for our full-length interview with Auboeck in a podcast coming soon).
“I will start in the beginning of September at Loughborough University and swim there and study,” Auboeck said.
The 23-year-old Auboeck just wrapped up his fourth season with the Michigan Wolverines in the American NCAA system. He was a 2016 Olympian in the 400 free, representing Austria. Last summer, he competed in the 400 and 800 freestyles at the 2019 World Championships.
Auboeck will join a huge group of recent NCAA grads to make the jump to Loughborough’s training group. 2020 Arkansas grad Anna Hopkin, a British national, will return to Great Britain to swim at Loughborough. 2020 USC grad Louise Hansson, one of Sweden’s top international talents, will also move to Loughborough and pursue a Master’s degree. 2019 NC State grad Andreas Vazaios also revealed that he’ll be heading to Loughborough to swim and study for a Master’s degree. Vazaios is a Greek Olympian.
“I’m really excited,” Auboeck said. “I think it’s the right thing for me to do. I get a world-class group, a lot of people who have the same goals as me, and get another college swimming experience.”
Who’s coaching these guys? Assuming they can’t swim with Mel Marshall or Dave Hemmings as they coach at the National Centre (British swimmers only) – are they going to join one of the uni squads? Because Loughborough is one of the few places in the UK where you can swim and study, those squads are usually pretty crowded, and Marshall/Hemmings squads get the preferred training times. Some great swimmers have come out of the other squads so there’s not a “bad” option, I just wonder where they’re going to slot in.
Hopkin is training with Mel Marshall. I believe Hansson, Vazaios, and Auboeck will train under Andi Manley and Ian Hulme. They also coach current swimmers Marie Wattel and Jocelyn Ulyett, I believe.