Winter lauds Van Wijk, Biggs

DREAM TEAM: A formidable line-up, Ben Van Wijk (left), Neil Van Wijk, Bella Biggs and coach Jon Winter.

Jon Winter has been around swimming long enough to know talent when he sees it.

A stellar competitive career, which was highlighted by winning a gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay at the world championships in Brazil in 1995, representing New Zealand at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and three consecutive Commonwealth Games and holding New Zealand records in butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke, has been followed by an equally impressive 20-year coaching career. His CV includes coaching roles for New Zealand at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2011 world championships and he was head coach for Tonga at the 2012 London Olympics.

So when Winter, a former member of both the Featherston and Carterton clubs, labels two relative newcomers to his squad at the Kapiti-based Raumati club as "very promising" it would take a brave man to argue with his assessment.

The names are not exactly unknown to the Wairarapa swimming fraternity either ... Neil Van Wijk and Bella Biggs. So impressive was Van Wijk in breaststroke that he still holds a national age group record despite taking a six-year break from the sport, while Biggs, who was off the scene through illness for several months, has been a medallist at national age group level as well.

Winter readily concedes that tutoring swimmers of the calibre of Van Wijk and Biggs - or any swimmers, for that matter - when they are living, and doing the bulk of their training, in Wairarapa isn't the ideal situation for him because of the distance factor, but any misgivings were well and truly outweighed by a desire to help them achieve their potential.

"I'd hate to think they were not given the chance to make the most of the immense talent they have. Anything I can do to help in that respect, I'm more than happy to do," he said.

Winter recalls watching Van Wijk in action in his early teens and being "absolutely amazed" at what he saw. "I remember saying to the media that this young guy could develop into one of the best breaststrokers this country has ever seen and, quite honestly, I still think that," he said. "He's a lot bigger and stronger now and once we get the conditioning up to scratch he could do anything."

High praise indeed but already supported by actions, with Van Wijk winning the 100m breaststroke title at the Manawatu open championships a fortnight ago, a result which did not surprise his coach.

"When you have the power he has you can win in that sort of company without being in absolutely top shape."

There is the possibility a second Van Wijk could join the Winter camp. Neil's younger brother, Ben, has impressed Winter with his abilities in the butterfly and he is "trying pretty hard" to convince him he should embark on a serious training schedule.

As for Biggs, who has just turned 15, Winter is impressed by her high degree of skill in several strokes but believes it will be in butterfly she makes the biggest impact.

"I'm not so sure Bella will like me saying that but technically that does seem to be her best stroke," he said. Biggs will make her return to the competitive scene when she competes for Raumati at the Wellington relay championships this weekend.