Landstræneren fortæller om forventningerne til Danish Open
30-03-2017 12:45:00:
Af: Laura Rosenkvist Schultz
På lørdag skydes Danish Open i gang på Bellahøj Svømmestadion, og i den forbindelse fortæller landstræner, Dean Boles, her lidt om, hvad vi kan se frem til ved stævnet.
Der er nu ikke længe til, at startskuddet lyder på Bellahøj Svømmestadion, når Danish Open starter. Allerede på lørdag er hele 421 svømmere nemlig klar til at konkurrere ved forårets helt store højdepunkt, hvor det blandt andet gælder kvalifikationer til store internationale mesterskaber som VM langbane, EM Junior, VM Junior, EYOF og NM Junior.
I forbindelse med stævnet bringer SvømmeSport her et lille interview med landstræneren, Dean Boles, der fortæller lidt om forventningerne dertil. Han fremhæver blandt andet, hvor meget der er på spil for de danske svømmere, og derudover håber han på at se udvikling i flere forskellige discipliner, så niveauet kommer helt op og rammer det internationale. Læs med herunder.
First of all, what are your overall expectations for this year’s Danish Open?
- Simply as I have always advocated is Improvement and Progression. Improved swimming - by times, by strategies, race execution - this is what I see being on the individual side of things but from a more global picture I would like to see Progression—improved rankings—World, European, better depth of events. I feel the Danish Open will show who has prepared well and then continue the performance progression into the summer. We have many teams on the line to be selected, I’m looking forward to see how that looks with our strong veterans and excited about the up and comers.
As the national coach what do you expect from the swimmers?
- I would like to see well-executed races with appropriate splitting, hardy and healthy racing and good skills such as turns and starts. I would like to see the depth of times and the competitiveness to make the final improve as well improvement to be on the podium.
Further to the need to develop depth in events such as the 100 and 200 free races in order to field strong relay teams in the European and World levels—the same goes for the stroke 100’s to develop Medley Relay. The Danish women have paved the way with the Medley Relay. We need to see a similar development for the 4x100 free and 4x200 free. On the men’s side we have seen progress toward the 4x200 free and we would like to see speed development toward the 4x100 free as well. Forming a competitive 4x100 Medley will require the stroke 100’s to be more competitive.
As already pointed out, qualifications for some of the championships in this season are on the line these days at Bellahøj. What do have to say about that?
- The Danish Open is an important moment for Danish Swimming as the best swimmers of the country come together with some foreign additions. With many opportunities on the line creates a competitive awareness that is helpful to excel at the European and World level. From my understanding the effort to make the Danish Open an exciting competition is critical to continue the success of the last four years in Danish Swimming. We need fast swimming now and then faster swimming at the best meets later in the summer.
What will be your focus on these five competition days as the national coach?
My role will be to observe and select the best possible teams for the summer. Working closely with the Sport Department to fulfil the responsibilities.
A great deal is in place for after the Danish Open - the what, the when, the how, the why - but we will have to wait for a much clearer picture of “the who”.
Mange tak til Dean for interviewet.
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