Swimming: NZ has deep talent pool, says master Aussie coach

Don Talbot (left) with Jan Cameron and their son, swimmer turned coach Scott Talbot-Cameron. Picture / Paul Escourt

Great Australian swim coach Don Talbot is convinced there is another Danyon Loader in a pool near you.

In Auckland as a consultant to Swimming New Zealand as part of their initiative to bring top coaches up to speed, Talbot says New Zealand is a great place to produce top swimmers.

"Look at your talent across the board," says Talbot, who is working closely with his former wife Jan Cameron at the Millennium Institute of Sport and Health. "New Zealanders are sport orientated."

Talbot, who admits he was "no great shakes as a competitive swimmer", retired in 2001 after 12 years as head coach across the Tasman. He now works as a consultant worldwide.

"I worked with Australian swimming for two years after I retired before they told me they didn't need me any more. I have spent 50 days with the English swimmers this year. I was at the Pan-Pacs recently where I spent time with Jan and the New Zealand team."

Talbot, 73, who has been breathing pools' chlorinated air for more than half a century, knows little else.

"I got into coaching in 1951," Talbot says. His guide was Frank Guthrie, who coached Lorraine Crapp and other top Australian swimmers.

In days when coaches were not appointed to swim teams, Talbot went to the 1958 Cardiff Empire Games and 1960 Rome Olympics to work with swimmers he coached. From 1962 (Perth Empire Games) to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, with the exception of the 1968 Mexico Olympics "following a political decision", Talbot was coach of the Australian men's team.

A firm believer in the role of sports science in swimming, Talbot has moved with the times but remains wary of the involvement of sports scientists who, he says, "want to run your programme".

Talbot and Cameron are drawn together by their love of their sport and son Scott Talbot-Cameron, who has now joined them poolside as a coach after a successful international swimming career.

Talbot is impressed with the work Cameron is doing with her high-performance squad.

"Jan is a doer," says Talbot. "She gets people involved. She is making inroads and is highly regarded around the world. She, and the institute, deserve credit for what has been achieved. It is unfortunate they do not get the government support they deserve.

"There are better facilities around the world, but only because they are newer. This is a great facility and will continue to play a role for your swimmers."

Back to Loader.

"Winning two gold medals - especially in the 200 and 400m freestyle - at the Atlanta Olympics was a hell of an achievement. I was not too surprised, as in Duncan Laing he had a tough-minded coach who had what it takes to produce top swimmers. "Loader is one of the top swimmers the world has seen. He was so talented, it was a pity he quit so early.

"Duncan Laing is a top coach but one coach can't be expected to do it all."

Talbot says Swimming New Zealand have got it right in putting an emphasis on working with coaches.

While SNZ high performance director Clive Rushton and "hands-on" coach Cameron work together at times, they have clearly defined roles.

"They complement each other in the work they are doing," said Talbot. "Ultimately, they want to see the same result - better swimmers, at all ages."

Talbot welcomes the swing away from the days when swimmers who had not made their mark by the time they reached 16 were considered past their use-by date.

He also welcomes Rushton's hard-nosed approach to tightening selection criteria and Cameron's tough stance in demanding the best from swimmers.

"Between them, I think they have common ground to make it work, but there is still plenty to be done," says Talbot. "Do they [SNZ] want to get the nation up, or just a club?

"Take the America's Cup. New Zealand succeeded because they worked as a team on and off the water."

Cameron, 59, who has been in New Zealand for the past 16 years, is working with her former husband here for the first time and is confident his work with the country's top coaches will bear fruit.