Hereford Times - 28th January 2016 - Page 139
Hereford Times - 28th January 2016 - Page 139
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Image Details
| Date | 28/01/2016 |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Format | |
| Language | English |
| Area | Hereford Times |
| Collection Holder | |
| Date of Publication | 28th January 2016 |
| Transcription |
com :om Club inny luck with Mid- ,e Di» iould t off Tom 1 on when lwas only with i on said since it out t and Dal. play, point v0 or d our make Club aders h six 3 will .es in ason. :quad ies in lIoon. or we 7 had al to were paid l with eeper lead- icing. had game, itting iomas so go- ailing- e divi- Satur~ ports. port '7 e i herefordtlmes.com Sportsdesk phone: 01432 845810 email: sport@herefordtimes.com EX-NATIONAL SWIMMER MOVES IN By Paul Rogers * Thursday, January 28, 2016 THE HEREFORD TIMES 137 Sport“ New head coach has sights set on increasing lub’s successes Swimming head coach John Sargeant A FORMER British Nation- al swimmer wants to create an even bigger splash at the City of Hereford Swimming . Club after being named their new head coach. John Sargeant has taken over the helm of Alex Dal- limore, who decided to step down last year following the most successful year in the club’s history The 30-year-old has been involved in the sport since he was seven, but narrowly missed out on going to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010 after sustain- ing a serious shoulder in- jury, forcing him to retire. Sargeant therefore took up coaching, enjoying suc- cessful spells at the City of Cambridge Swimming Club and Bishop’s Stortford Swimming Club. He arrived in Hereford last month and says he is excited about what can be achieved at the club. “They had their most suc- cessful year and I aim to continue with what has been done at Hereford, but I like to aim big and surpass what has been achieved be- cause there is a lot of poten’ tial there,” said Sargeant. “The vacancy came up, but at the time I wasn’t sure. “But I had a chat with Alex [Dallimore] and, after doing some research, I decided to apply for it. achieved at the club. “It’s good that the club has two other clubs in Ross and Leominster that feed into it. “Currently, I am just get- ting to know the club, but I know the Water Polo sec- tion has developed some Welsh Junior performers and one or two GB juniors. “I am still learning that side of the club, but any- thing I can do to progress it, I will.” There are around 200 members at the club, but Sargeant believes it can be increased by at least 100. “When I joined at Cam- bridge, they had about 150 and I got it up to 250,” said Sargeant. “If anyone wants to come and join, the doors are al- ways open. “I think results speak for James Bilbao is a national champion in the 14 years and under category Ll. themselves and you can see that the club is performing well.” Sargeant believes his ex- perience as a swimmer can help the club’s members. “I’ve been involved in swimming since I was sev- en and competitively up un- til 2010," he said. “I’m an ex-national cham- pion and have represented England a couple of times. “I didn’t qualify for the Commonwealth Games be- cause I got injured at the wrong time and had to re— tire. “I had surgery, but I didn’t qualify, so didn't get the funding. “I tore the tendon that con- nects the bicep to the shoul- der and it was a bit more serious than I thought. “I was quite a late devel- oper and my first nationals was when I was 15. “But I’ve got experience of being a national champion and I know what it takes to get there." James Cockroft, chairman of City of Hereford Swim— ming Club. said Sargeant stood out because of his roundedness, level headed— ness and aspiration. “The club has just enjoyed its most successful season with 12 medals at national and home national chain- pionships, as well as a na- tional champion in James n I \ ’ .; _’ ~; . John Sargeant is the new head coach at City of Hereford Swimming Club. The 30-year-old says he wants to surpass what has already been Photos: James Maggs Bilbao in the boys 14 years ' and under,” said Cockroft. ' “The club is now looking to build upon this success with the appointment of John Sargent as the new head coach. “Alex Dallimore spent five years at the club and trans . formed its performance, with national recognition and the focus now is to con- ' solidate the platform that has been built up and look to further those successes — with more national cham- pions and youth Olympic ‘ qualifiers a realistic target. “The club went through a long and thorough process in selecting a new coach and, with support and ad- vice from the England Tal- ent programme team. came _ the unanimous decision in appointing John “While the club is a per- formance programme, we do cater for all abilities and ages. John‘s remit as head coach is at the performance end of the spectrum. but he recognises the need to bal— ance that with providing a platform for all abilities and helping every swimmer reach their own personal Olympic gold." 990000000906 SPORT ONLINE All your sport news. views- and results 23/? herefordtimes.com/sport Calypso Harvey is just one promising swimmer on the books of City of Hereford Swimming Club |
| Newspaper name | Hereford Times |