Bream Bay Swim Club make the most of Olympians Clinic

Northland’s Bream Bay swim club were invited to join Whangarei swim club in a special training session with Commonwealth Games medallist Michael Davidson and Australian Olympic medallist Justin Lemberg.

The session was focused on technique and skills with Michael and Justin teaching the swimmers a number of useful tips, drills, and exercises to improve their technique and body position in the water. Mike Swords from the Bream Bay club said that the session was well received by all swimmers.

Michael Davidson swam for Northland during his swimming career, winning a bronze medal in the 400m freestyle at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, and representing New Zealand at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles where he posted top 16 finishes in the 400m and 1500m freestyle. He served as the head coach of High Tide Aquatics for five years before being announced as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama in June 2012. He was inducted into the Northland Sports Legends Hall of Fame in 2011.

Michael was assisted during the session by 1984 Olympic bronze medallist Justin Lemberg. Lemberg won his Olympic medal in the 400m freestyle, swimming the greatest race of his life to improve his Australian record by more than two seconds to claim bronze, just 0.56s behind the American duo of George DiCarlo and John Mykkanen. He also competed in the 200m and 1500m freestyle and the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay where he narrowly missed a second medal, finishing fourth. 

The Bream Bay swimming club was the top team at the 2013 Division II swimming championships in Invercargill in April. The clubs swimmers spend the winter months doing most of their training in a two lane 20m pool.