Jeannette Ottesen Will Train in Australia From January to March

Jeanette Ottesen, Denmark’s best chance for a medal at the coming in the 2016 Olympics, will travel to Australia to train with Shannon Rollason. Ottosen announced her departure in an interview with Denmark’s TV2 Sport (link in Danish). She will depart Denmark in January and remain in Australia through at least March.

Ottosen was blunt about her reasons for returning, stating that “That [Australia] is where I get the best possible training, with a coach that understands me and understands the way I need to train”. The move means that Ottesen will not be part of the training group at the National Training Center, where Rollason was coach until December 2014.

Since Rollason’s move, Ottesen has made several trips to train in Australia. So has world record holder Rikke Møller Pedersen, who broke that record under Rollason but struggled last summer, finishing in a three way tie for the bronze in Kazan and having to watch fast charging Viktoria Gunes threaten her record at the World Junior Championship.

Despite the two highest profile swimmers at the National Training Center leaving to train with their former coach, there are no hard feelings from the Danish Swimming Union. Rollason’s former assistant Stefan Hansen, now National Training Center coach himself, admitted to Danish newspaper Politiken in November (link in Danish) that:

“Shannon has some experience that I just don’t have. He’s been in the game many years, he’s had Olympic Champions, and if the swimmers and I can draw upon that experience from him, then we need to do it”

Likewise, High Performance Director Lars Green Bach expressed support for Ottesen’s move: “Our primary focus is that our swimmers should use every possible trick and opportunity to achieve the best shape prior to Rio”.

Rollason’s departure has created an uncomfortable situation at the National Training Center, whose purpose is to train the best in Danish swimming. With Lotte Friis also having long since departed and Denmark’s other potential Olympic medalists Mie Nielsen and Viktor Bromer steadfast in Aalborg Swimming Club, a shakeup is likely post Rio.