Olympian coaches share their wisdom
27-07-10
Posted by AOC
When the Australian Youth Olympic Team touches down in Singapore in a little over two weeks’ time, they will be accompanied by 35 dedicated and highly experienced coaches.
A remarkable 12 of these coaches are Olympians themselves or have coached at an Olympic Games.
Mat Helm, a three time Olympian who won a silver and bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games is the diving coach for Australia’s lone diver, Hannah Thek.
“The Youth Olympic Games is a fantastic opportunity for young athletes to experience high quality international sport,” Helm said.
“I am sure a lot of the athletes are aiming longer term to compete at the Olympic Games so this represents a fantastic opportunity to prepare themselves for such an achievement.
“My first major international competition was the Sydney Games. I was just 19 years old.
“ If I had had the opportunity to compete at a Youth Olympics it would have opened up my eyes as to what to expect for the Olympic Games themselves. “
Recalling his first Olympic Games, Helm said, “I was nervous and quite upset before the final. I had not had any experience leading into the Games and I had so many emotions to deal with.“
Helm will be overseeing the preparation and performance of 17-year-old Thek at the Singapore Games.
“I will be accompanying Hannah as a coach and a friend. I will be there to support and guide her both in and out of competition,” he said.
He will draw on his experiences at the Olympic Games, in particular his first Games as a teenager, to prepare Thek for competition.
“I am advising Hannah to enjoy the experience, however to be wary of distractions such as the dining hall and watching other events,” he said.
“I will be telling her to have as much fun as she can, as long as it does not detract from your performance.
“Competition is the most important aspect of the Games,” he reinforced.
Australian coaches with an Olympic background
- Matt Beckenham, competed in Athletics at Sydney 2000
- Stuart Brehaut, competed in Badminton at Athens 2004
- Myriam Fox, competed in Canoe/Kayak for France at Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 and coached for Australia in Canoe/Kayak at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008
- Mat Helm, competed in Diving at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008
- Serguei Chinkar, gymnastics coach (WAG) in Beijing 2008
- Nikolay Zhuravlev, gymnastics coach (trampoline) Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008
- Raelene Boulton, competed in Handball at Sydney 2000
- Paul Gaudoin, competed in Hockey at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000
- Carolyn Quigley, competed in Shooting at Sydney 2000
- Brett Clarke, competed in Table Tennis at Sydney 2000
- Ron McKeon, competed in Swimming at 1980 and 1984 Games
Frances Cordaro
AOC
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