“The Courier-Mail” is reporting that Swimming Australia’s search for a new High Performance Director is nearing conclusion. The search began in February of this year when the previous head of high performance, Michael Scott, resigned to pursue a new role as Chief Executive Officer at Rowing Australia.
With final interviews set for this week, the article points to Bernard Savage as the front runner for the job. Savage was a key member of Swimming Australia’s senior management, contributing to the team’s campaigns at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, as well as 11 world championships, three Commonwealth Games and the past four Pan Pacific Championships (triathlon.org).
Savage was Swimming Australia’s High Performance Science Manager from 2007-2012, until he was lured away by Triathlon Australia to take the position of National Performance Director for their organization, under whom he is still technically contracted until 2016.
Even with the aforementioned accolades, the fact remains that Savage was on staff during Australia’s overall lackluster performance at the London Games. The Games represented Australia’s worst Olympic performance in two decades, which rendered accusations of a “toxic culture”.
The article does point to the fact that “current swim team head coach Jacco Verhaeren was not part of the interview panel”, although current head of the Swimmers’ Association, Daniel Kowalski is still in the running.
Take John Atkinson! God knows no one wants him here in Canada
Much better choice than Robert California, obviously.