Western Australian Swimming Boosted by Third Elite Training Centre

Western Australian swimming will be boosted by the addition of a third elite training centre in 2017 after Swimming WA announced that a Southern High Performance Training Centre will commence operation in May.

Supported by Swimming Australia and the WA Institute of Sport, the Southern HPTC follows the successful implementation of the Challenge Podium Performance Centre at HBF Stadium in Mt Claremont and the Northern HPTC at HBF Arena in Joondalup.

The Southern expansion will seek to further strengthen Western Australia’s talent pathways and will comprise of a consortium of three swim clubs, with Rockingham, South Lake Dolphins and Kwinana Swimming Clubs collectively forming the new HPTC model, with training set to be based primarily between the Aqua Jetty facility in Rockingham and the soon to be completed Cockburn Aquatic Recreation Centre.

Swimming WA CEO Darren Beazley said the third centre will have far reaching benefits for the sport of swimming in WA.

“The Association received two very strong applications to host the HPTC, one from east of the CBD and one from the south,” Mr Beazley said. “The Committee, comprised of representatives from Swimming Australia, WAIS and Swimming WA, had to make a very difficult decision, which indicates the current strength of WA swimming.”

“The bid from the east of the city was very impressive and compelling, but in the end, the group believe that basing the third HPTC in the southern corridor will provide swimmers, coaches and officials with access to a performance program that is able to identify and develop talented swimmers with the potential to swim for their State and their country over the next four to eight years,” he said.

General Manager, Performance at Swimming Australia, Mr Wayne Lomas said the addition of the Southern HPTC would further develop the high performance structure of the sport in WA.

“For us, the opportunity presented by the establishment of a third HPTC is fantastic. The pooling of talent, both coach and athlete, as well as the combined resources of the various parties to the agreement are an effective and efficient way of enabling performance swimming outcomes,” Mr Lomas said. “We applaud Swimming WA and WAIS for their commitment to further developing our sport with this model.”

Rockingham Swimming Club President Grant Beste said the new HPTC represented an exciting opportunity for the sport in the local area.

“Supported by South Lake Dolphins Swimming Club at the new Cockburn Facility, along with swimming clubs in the southern and Peel region, Rockingham Swimming Club sees the Southern HPTC providing an important pathway for swimmers based in the south of the state with an amazing opportunity develop their ability in their chosen sport,” he said.

Applications for the Southern HPTC head coach position will open in January 2017.