Hurring takes up new role with Swimming New Zealand

Olympic and Commonwealth Games swim coach Gary Hurring will take up a new role as Swimming New Zealand’s talent identification and development coach.

Hurring, a former world championship medallist, earned a strong coaching reputation for his work in developing swimmers to international ranks at the Capital Swim Club including the likes of Gareth Kean, Tash Hind, Samantha Lucie-Smith, Samantha Lee, Emma Robinson, Jonathan Winter, Kelly Bentley, Toni Jeffs and Michelle Burke.

Swimming New Zealand’s recent high performance review pointed to the encouraging results from young swimmers with potential pathway to the 2020 Olympics and beyond, but identified a lack of hands-on support for coaches and athletes.

“We believe we need more resource in this vital area of our development,” said Swimming New Zealand High Performance Director, Luis Villanueva.

Eighteen months ago Swimming New Zealand appointed Donna Bouzaid to a new role as High Performance Development Coach.

“While this initiative has been successful, we need more resource to contribute to our development strategy, work closely with coaches on specific training needs and to better evaluate the progression and goals for targeted young swimmers.”

The position will focus on working with regions, clubs and coaches on development pathways for young swimmers with talent.

Villanueva said Hurring was the outstanding candidate for this role and has all of the skills and mana to be a key appointment for the sport.

Hurring said he was excited about the new role and the prospects.

“In my own role as a coach over the years I was basically left to my own devices to develop young swimmers to the best of my abilities,” Hurring said.

“I often wished there was someone in a guiding role that I could ask for advice and provide processes and data to more accurately plot that development. I hope I can play that sort of role to other coaches and young swimmers.”

More recently Hurring been head coach of the Wellington Regional Performance Centre, which was closed recently because of financial constraints with the remaining swimmers either returning to their club programmes or to Swimming New Zealand’s High Performance programme in Auckland.

Swimming New Zealand has also started the recruitment process for new position of National Head Coach of the re-structured high performance programme.

Hurring will take his role next month.