Paulus Wildeboer, one of the most well-known and well-respected swimming coaches in the world has passed away at the age of 59 after an ongoing battle with prostate cancer.
Wildeboer was a true giant in the international swimming world, coaching for over 25 years in Spain, then moving the Denmark where he helped the Danish program rise to new heights, and finally making a high-profile move to Queensland to help out the storied Australian program.
He is also the father of Spanish Olympian Aschwin Wildeboer, whom he trained while living in Denmark.
One of his former swimmers, Anders Nielsen who currently trains in the United States at the University of Michigan, says that his former mentor Wildeboer was the biggest factor in the current era of success in Danish swimming. “Without his work, we wouldn’t have the success we have now,” Nielsen lauded.
It’s been a week of big, impactful losses within the swimming community, and Wildeboer’s passing is no doubt another that will affect a wide range of people he interacted with during his lengthy and highly-successful coaching career.
What sad news, my thoughts are with Winnie, Olaf and Aschwin.
Danish swimming owes Paulus a great debt, and he will be sorely missed by his many friends here.
Coach for lotte until olympics 12
Before Baltimore and before Nice, france
Should be mentioned this was Lotte Friis Coach until just recently when she moved to Maryland