After just over one year on the job, Belgium’s national head coach Fred Vergnoux has departed for a new opportunity. He will now be the coach of the new World Aquatics Center in Antibes, France, which will host 16 new swimmers from 15 different nationalities.
Although an official press release from the world’s swimming governing body has not yet been released, Vergnoux tells SwimSwam that the Antibes endeavor is a collaborative project among the club, the French Swimming Federation (FFN) and World Aquatics.
Vergnoux took on the new Belgian National Head Coach of Swimming role in August 2022 after nearly 9 years at the helm of the National Training Centre in Spain where he led Mireia Belmonte to 200m fly gold at the 2016 Olympic Games.
During his tenure in Belgium, Vergnoux helped guide the nation’s top swimmers to set over a dozen new national records.
Versatile 18-year-old Roos Vanotterdijk had a breakout 2023, a year that saw her establish new national benchmarks across the 50m free, 100m free, 50m back, 100m back and 100m fly.
Lucas Henveaux, Stan Frackx, Noah De Schryver, Florine Gaspard, Valentine Dumont and Alisee Pisane also set new long-course Belgian standards under Vergnoux’s tutelage.
On his decision to move, which took effect shortly after the 2023 World Championships, Vergnoux tells SwimSwam his daughter entered a national training center for artistic swimming in France while his wife was also offered a job in Antibes.
“Family first”, Vergnoux says.
Look for a follow-up post once our interview with Vergnoux has been conducted.
Family first ? How about what will happen to those swimmers finding themselves without a coach?
They will get a new coach, who’s situation allows them to not be distracted by not having their family with them. Dumb post
when you move fast you always get new swimmers that easily react to new training stimulus and show promise
Ia Fred known for coaching sprinters? I thought he was an ultra distance and grind it out kind of coach?
I read the training volume for Belmonte was insane.
The 2022-23 season was very promising for Belgian Swimming but Worlds were disappointing: for instance Roos Vanotterdijk swam way slower than during the season and so did other swimmers.
Brigitte Becue : « J’ai décidé que Roos devait se reposer » – Le Soir
Toptalent Roos Vanotterdijk haakt af voor olympische stage: “Ze heeft fysiek en mentaal een weerbots gekregen” | Het Nieuwsblad
In French and Dutch but it gives some context – both on your remark and the article itself…