Swimming Australia reappoint Olympic coach Rohan Taylor on long-term deal after Tokyo success

Swimming Australia have gone into preparation mode for a huge three years of competition after securing the long-term services of the coach who oversaw the huge Tokyo medal haul.

Rohan Taylor has been reappointed as head coach of Australia’s national swim team through to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Initially hired on a 12-month deal after Jacco Verhaeren quit and returned to Europe when the Tokyo Olympics were initially postponed for 12 months, Taylor was given a three-year extension.

It was one of the easiest decisions Swimming Australia has had to make in recent years after Taylor oversaw the most successful Olympic campaign of any Australian swim team.

Rohan Taylor has got a nice little upgrade after overseeing the huge Tokyo medal haul.

Led by multi-event winners Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown and Ariarne Titmus, the Dolphins won a record nine golds and 21 overall medals in Tokyo.

“I am so incredibly proud of what we achieved in Tokyo – athletes, coaches and staff included – and the great environment we have built in this team over the past few years,” Taylor said.

“With a shorter cycle to Paris now, I look forward to continuing the work with our coaches and athlete leaders to build on this success and maintaining the fantastic culture we have created.”

Tamara Sheppard was promoted to the role of high performance director after previously serving as the general manager of high performance and team leader in Tokyo.

“Rohan has done an outstanding job leading this team through the challenges of Covid and creating an environment where athletes and coaches are able to thrive,” Swimming Australia chief executive Alex Baumann said.

Zac Stubblety-Cook was part of the big wave of success in Tokyo.

“The Board and I are fully supportive of re-contracting Rohan through to Paris following our most successful Olympic campaign ever.

“In the last 18 months, Tamara has shown great leadership in challenging times and stepping up into the role of High Performance Director is a natural progression for her and extremely well deserved.”

Australia’s swimmers are currently on a break from training after being released from quarantine but are expected to return to the pool soon to start preparing for next year’s world championships and Commonwealth Games.

Why swim coach has become indispensable to Aussie cause

Swimming Australia has begun talks with Rohan Taylor about extending his role as national head coach when his current contract expires next month.

Re-hiring Taylor should be one of the easiest decisions Swimming Australia has made in years after he oversaw the most successful swim team Australia has ever sent to an Olympic Games.

Under Taylor’s watch, the Dolphins won an unprecedented nine gold medals in Tokyo to eclipse the previous national record of eight, won at Melbourne in 1956, and he rightfully deserves much of the credit.

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Rohan Taylor helped turn around the fortunes of the Aussie swim team.

The 53-year-old was only hired on a 12-month deal when the previous head coach Jacco Verhaeren quit last year to return to Europe with his family and he has instantly fixed the team – and the country’s perception of the Dolphins – after the disappointment of the last two Olympics.

While preliminary talks about an extension commenced while the team was in quarantine in the Northern Territory, neither Swimming Australia or Taylor would speculate on whether they were close to putting pen to paper.

However, it is understood that officials are keen to lock in the position sooner rather than later so everyone can start fast-tracking plans for the 2024 Paris Olympics, because there is no time to waste.

All the major events that take place in the four-year cycle between Olympics have now been condensed into a smaller window with the world championships, normally held every two years, now taking place in 2022 and 2023, with the Commonwealth Games sandwiched in between.

Our swimmers won an Olympic-high nine gold medals. Picture: Adam Head

Originally scheduled for December 2020, the short-course world championships are now taking place in Abu Dhabi in four months’ time, with the enticing carrot of $3.8 million prizemoney on offer as part of a pledge by swimming’s world governing FINA promised to start sharing more of its enormous profits with competitors.

However, Swimming Australia has already decided not to send a team to the Middle East because of the ongoing international travel restrictions.

With the Dolphins set to finally be reunited with their families on Tuesday after spending two weeks locked in quarantine after the Tokyo Olympics, Swimming Australia announced it was not sending an official team to the short course world championships but would support any individual swimmers who wanted to go.

Swimming Australia also announced it has cancelled the Australian short-course championships, due to be held in Melbourne in September, because of the ongoing uncertainty over state borders closures.

“With limited options to return to Australia, the quarantine requirements following competition falling over the Christmas and New Year period and many of our athletes just undertaken more than 10 weeks away from home, we felt sending a team to the event was not viable,” Swimming Australia chief executive Alex Baumann said.

Originally published as Swimming Australia reappoint Olympic coach Rohan Taylor on long-term deal after Tokyo success