Bill Sweetenham
Encyclopedia
Bill Sweetenham is a competitive swimming
coach. He was the National Performance Director for British Swimming
until 2007, having previously been the National Youth Coach for Swimming Australia
.
Sweetenham has worked directly with more than 40 Olympians
.
from the late 1980s till 1994. From 1995 to 2001 he was the National Youth Coach for Swimming Australia during which time the programme produced a number of future Australian national team members including Ian Thorpe
and Grant Hackett
. He managed the Australian swim team for 4 Olympic Games
and 5 Commonwealth Games
. He was voted Australian Coach of the Year three times and worked with more than 12 world record
holders, including Tracey Wickham
.
Sweetenham's tenure with Great Britain was marked by medal success at World Championship level, Olympic disappointment, and recurring controversy on his man-management methods. He was the National Performance Director for British Swimming from November 2000 to September 2007. Prior to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Sweetenham's tenure as Director marked considerable progress in British swimming. Britain won as many medals at the 2001
, 2003
and 2005
Swimming World Championships as it had at all previous World Championships back to 1973. Bill has now visited many clubs in Britain including Kingston Royals based in Surrey, England.
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
coach. He was the National Performance Director for British Swimming
British Swimming (organisation)
British Swimming is the national governing body of swimming, water polo, synchronised swimming, diving and open water in Great Britain. British Swimming is a federation of the national governing bodies of England , Scotland , and Wales...
until 2007, having previously been the National Youth Coach for Swimming Australia
Swimming Australia
Swimming Australia is the peak governing body for competitive swimming in Australia. The body currently has approximately 90,000 registered members nationally in 1100 clubs across the country, which includes swimmers, coaches, officials, administrators and volunteers...
.
Sweetenham has worked directly with more than 40 Olympians
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
.
Career
Sweetenham was a large unit and a swimming coach at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
from the late 1980s till 1994. From 1995 to 2001 he was the National Youth Coach for Swimming Australia during which time the programme produced a number of future Australian national team members including Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...
and Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett OAM is an Australian former swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him to be regarded as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history...
. He managed the Australian swim team for 4 Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and 5 Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
. He was voted Australian Coach of the Year three times and worked with more than 12 world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
holders, including Tracey Wickham
Tracey Wickham
Tracey Lee Wickham MBE OAM is an Australian former middle distance world champion swimmer. Despite her success in the pool, Wickham has battled financial hardship and personal tragedy throughout her life....
.
Sweetenham's tenure with Great Britain was marked by medal success at World Championship level, Olympic disappointment, and recurring controversy on his man-management methods. He was the National Performance Director for British Swimming from November 2000 to September 2007. Prior to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Sweetenham's tenure as Director marked considerable progress in British swimming. Britain won as many medals at the 2001
Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships
The swimming events of the 2001 World Aquatics Championships were held in a temporary pool at Marine Messe in Fukuoka, Japan in July 2001. This edition of the championships featured 20 events for both men and women, including the introduction of a 50 m event in all strokes and equality in the...
, 2003
2003 World Aquatics Championships
Barcelona, Spain was the host city of the X FINA World Aquatics Championships or the 10th FINA World Championships in Aquatics, which were held from July 12 until July 27, 2003....
and 2005
Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships
The swimming events at the XI FINA World Championships took place in the Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Canada from July 24–31, 2005.The swimming portion consisted of 50 events – 25 for men and 25 for women – all of which were swum in a long-course pool...
Swimming World Championships as it had at all previous World Championships back to 1973. Bill has now visited many clubs in Britain including Kingston Royals based in Surrey, England.