Swimming: Swim coach delighted

New Zealand Olympic games swimming coach Brett Naylor is enthusiastic about the progress of Sydney-bound swimmers Helen Norfolk and Jonathan Duncan as their high altitude camp in the United States nears an end.

"They're training very well and dealing with the altitude better than I expected," Naylor said.

The pair spent 10 days at Flagstaff, Arizona, which is 6800ft above sea level and are now slightly higher in Los Alamos, New Mexico (7400ft) for the duration of their stay. They fly home to New Zealand on Sunday and head straight for Dunedin and the winter championships.

"Having 10 days at 6800ft has really helped them," said Naylor, adding that both swimmers had upped their usual mileage rates since arriving in the United States.

He said the benefits of the journey would not be apparent until the duo hit the pool in Sydney. "Our goal is to get as close to sea level times as we can and I've seen some really good improvements over the last few days." Naylor is a great believer in altitude training to improve fitness by boosting the red blood cell count. But he did not expect the pair to turn in outstanding performances at the winter championships, considering their long journey back.

- NZPA

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