Første Great Danes-samling denne weekend!
01-11-2013 09:33:29:
Af: Anna Birkbak
Hør hvad landstræner Nick Juba siger om projektet, der skal højne niveauet hos de danske herresvømmere.
Den nye, meget spændende elitesatsning i Dansk Svømmeunion er projektet Great Danes, der har til formål at styrke og højne niveauet hos 10 udvalgte herresvømmere i Danmark.
De 10 herresvømmere, der er udtaget, er følgende:
Magnus Westermann Herlev svømning
Morten Bak Hansen JGI / A6
Daniel Skaaning STT/ VAT-Copenhagen / NTC
Daniel Steen Andersen Horsens Svømmeklub / NTC
Joachim Mortensen Hjørring S68
Emil Klingberg Kvik Kastrup
Viktor Bromer Ålborg Svømmeklub
Magnus Jakubsson Sigma Swim Allerød / NTC
Sebastian Ovesen Slagelse Svømmeklub / Swim Team Vestsjælland
Kevin Witt Christensen Farum Svømmeklub
I denne weekend mødes svømmerne for første gang til to træningspas i Greve Svømmehal, ét i eftermiddag og ét i morgen formiddag. Vi har talt med landstræner Nick Juba om, hvad projektet grundlæggende går ud på, og også hvad der er fokus på denne weekend.
What will the main focus for this first gathering be?
This weekend will be about laying a foundation for the Great Danes programme. I will be explaining to Denmark's top male, home-based swimmers exactly what we are trying to achieve over the next three years. I know that the Great Danes is an important initiative for Danish swimming and, if we are to raise the standard of Danish men's swimming to the current world- high women's levels, we need to get it just right!
How will you mentally strengthen the boys individually and as a group?
”There will be plenty of talking from an experienced group of Danish coaches and Team Denmark sports psychologists, but also from out-of-swimming speakers. Currently these guys, in swimming-terms need to have, stronger egos and more self-belief in their own capabilities. One mentor that I will use will be Jakob Andjkaer, a Danish World and European medallist from recent times. The Great Danes need to know exactly what it takes to live with the world's best swimmers.”
When is the first meet, and what are you asking of them in competing?
”Obviously we have the European Short-Course in Herning as the main focus in the next two months. In January the National Team will be away on camp and most of these men will be part of that. ”
”Their first meet as the Great Danes will be the Flanders Cup in Antwerp at the end of January. We then plan to race at the Mon Meet in Marseilles at the beginning of March, and the Bergen Swim Festival in May. ”
”The Great Danes men will be required to race fast in both heats and finals at these high-class European meets. They will be exposed to challenging racing conditions against many of Europe's best male swimmers, and they will be forced to deal with them. At the start they will probably be ill-equipped to deal with the pressures placed upon them. By the end we expect them to be demonstrating those special qualities that are needed to race head to head with the world's best. In other words the Great Danes is a 'toughening up' process.”
What will the Great Danes-program basically mean to the boys?
”I hope that it will mean the world to these swimmers to be part of what is an entirely unique programme. And of course I hope that it will stir up feelings of pride within them. Above all, I hope that it will inspire them! I am sure that some will fall by the wayside but some will make it through. Whatever, I want the Great Danes to be a memorable and joyful experience for all.”
Mange tak til Nick Juba! Vi vil desuden bringe nogle videoer fra svømmernes træning i løbet af weekenden her på siden.
