Commonwealth Games 2022: Lewis Clareburt's coach speaks out on Swimming NZ and HPSNZ's lack of support

Lewis Clareburt and his team don't know how they will fund their ideal Olympic programme. Photo / Photosport

The coach of New Zealand Commonwealth Games swimming sensation Lewis Clareburt has suggested a lack of support from Swimming New Zealand has left his build-up to the 2023 Paris Olympics in a dire state.

Clareburt broke a 16-year gold-medal drought for New Zealand's men swimmers by smashing the Games record on his way to glory in the 400m individual medley. Less than 24 hours later he added another to his tally in the 200m butterfly.

However, despite this success and a clear upward trajectory of form over the past four years, Gary Hollywood says the young swimmer and his team don't know how they will fund their ideal Olympic programme.

"We've recruited Ryan Lochte's former coach Gregg Troy to work with us through to Paris and we'd like to go over there (Florida] and do a camp with him and set up some racing there, but we don't know where that money's coming from yet, so I don't know if that's going to be possible," Hollywood told NZME.

"It's never easy, and I think Lewis said the Aussies might have about thirty-odd million put into their swim programme each year. In New Zealand, it's barely a million."

In fact, High Performance Sport New Zealand has tagged $1.1m per annum of core investment towards swimming between 2022 and 2024, an amount which puts it behind nine other sports. New Zealand last won an Olympic medal 26 years ago at the Atlanta Games via Danyon Loader.

That lack of ongoing success has led to a decline in support from High Performance New Zealand and, since the organisation allocates its funding on a three-year cycle, the amount swimmers receive is not going to change ahead of Paris.

In the meantime, Hollywood says he and Clareburt have been relying on help from private backers just to make ends meet.

"I've never had a budget, personally speaking, for the last six years, so I don't have anything to work with. We've been lucky in terms of Rebecca Tohill from Fusion5 whose heavily subsidised the programme and helped me; she pays for my phone bill, she pays for my laptop, she's helped Lewis and his family with camps.

"Without some of the private sponsorship we've had I just don't know where we'd be right now."

Hollywood says that even finding a pool with the capacity to host elite swimmers has been a challenge for Clareburt.

"We struggle for lane space. On Tuesday mornings we have one 25 metre lane for about six athletes and it's just not viable, so it's been a real struggle to be honest and the Australians just don't know how we've done it."

Swimming coach Gary Hollywood with Lewis Clareburt in 2018. Photo / Getty

Hollywood says that without the support to help world-class athletes like Clareburt, the sport may be doomed to become one of participation, rather than excellence.

"All the conversations at the moment are around participation, I'm not sure how many people really care about performance. People like the medals but I'm not sure they like to support it.

"I can understand we want the whole community participating, but we need these performances to inspire the next generation."

Meanwhile, Clareburt's Commonwealth Games campaign rolls on as he readies himself to take on the 200m individual medley on Wednesday. Hollywood believes that even if Clareburt were to add another medal to his Games tally, it still wouldn't lead to more support for his young charge.

"We came back with the only [swimming] medal at the last Commonwealth Games and I don't really feel like we got much support after that. He's one of only five Kiwis ever to win a medal at the World Championship.

"So for me to feel like much is going to change when we come back after these [Games] ... I feel like I'd only be deluding myself."

In response Swimming New Zealand CEO Steve Johns acknowledged the tremendous achievement the duo have ticked off in Birmingham.

"Both Gary and Lewis have received significant support from Swim NZ and HPSNZ well in excess of other athletes and programs - in recognition of their fantastic achievements.

"We're absolutely delighted for their achievements over last few days and Gary is a huge part of that program and both deserve all the recognition they get."