AUSSIE TRIALS: Super Coach Michael Bohl Takes A Trip Down Memory Lanes To Inspire His Class of 2024
Australia’s most successful high performance swimming coach Michael Bohl will spearhead his team into his 10th Olympic Trials meet at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre from June 10-15, inspiring them with a slice of Australia’s rich swimming history.
Bohl, who started his foray into Olympic coaching back in 1988, took his star-studded Gold Coast-based Griffith University group – led by Olympic golden girls Emma McKeon and Kaylee McKeown and fellow Tokyo medallist Brendan Smith into the mid-year heat of Far North Queensland and the historical Tobruk Baths of Townsville for a pre-Trials training camp.
Along with fellow Olympic hopefuls Lani Pallister, Bowen Gough, Josh Edwards-Smith and Cody Simpson, the Griffith group are in the hands of one of Australia’s most successful Olympic coaches and his assistant 1988 Olympian Janelle Pallister (nee Elford) – who both remain constantly in touch and aware of Australia’s rich history in the pool.
MIDAS TOUCH: Coach Harry Gallagher with Dawn Fraser and Jon Henricks who he guided to Olympic gold in Melbourne in 1956. Photo Courtesy Tobruk Baths Hall Of Fame
And there is none more appropriate pool than Townsville’s Tobruk Baths – a centre in the thick of Queensland’s tropics that became the home-away-from home for Australia’s teams of the 1950s and 1960s – the golden eras of swimming in Australia.
Teams that included the likes of Olympic gold medallists – Dawn Fraser, Murray Rose, Lorraine Crapp, John Devitt, Jon Henricks, John Konrads, David Theile, Kevin Berry, Ian O’Brien and Bob Windle.
There is a lot of history at the Tobruk Baths with Alan “Stumpy” Lawrence and his young son Laurie Lawrence, who would of course go on to write his own name into gold medal coaching folklore, hosting the teams from back in the 1950s and 60s.
A time when the Australian teams would come to Townsville in the winter to escape the chills from the southern states.
“Walking along the corridors of the pool on the way in with a lot of history and the photos of the greats like Dawn, the Konrads, Bobby Windle, Kevin Berry and Murray all up on the walls,” said Bohl.
“With not many heated pools in Australia back in the 50s and 60s the swimmers all went north to escape the cold, and this was the central place for training for all the Olympic teams back in the herculean years of the 60s….
“You feel like you are walking into history…. back in time. And it’s important that this is not lost on our current swimmers.
“While 1984 Olympic champion Jon Sieben (very much a Townsville local himself now) who was coached to LA gold by Laurie Lawrence, also popping in to attend two sessions, including witnessing some of the team’s quality sets, so having him on the side of the pool was fantastic.
“We came up to get out of the cold at home in SE Queensland, trying to escape that, for our final grinding week before we start to cut it back a bit.
“Changing the venue with the quality type stuff, in a nice tropical, sultry environment, with 26- and 27-degree temperatures during the days…a tick under 20 in the mornings.
“I think we are heading towards Trials in a good position, in what is always an up-and-down day-by-day process, but they are all looking quite good….”
And Bohl has given Swimming World readers some insights into the week that was in Tobruk’s lanes of gold.
SWIMMING SWANSONG: Emma McKeon and Michael Bohl. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr Swimming Australia
Starting with Tokyo golden girl Emma McKeon, who is preparing for her final swimming fling and celebrating her 30th birthday on May 24; sharing that special milestone with fellow squad member, Japan’s Rio Olympic bronze medallist Daiya Seto – who has already made his third Japanese team for Paris.
Seto and fellow Japanese Olympian Rikako Ikee have both been integral members of the Griffith group, adding keen competition along with their special friendships with some of Australia’s best.
Bohl admitting they have been nursing McKeon through her last hurrah, the five-time gold and 11-time Olympic medallist, making no secret that Paris will be her swimming swansong.
“Emma has had some shoulder concerns over the last five years, but she has been swimming well, with some nice swims during the season, especially in her ‘fly, in fact with some of her best swims in-season,” said Bohl.
“It’s the freestyle where she has to find a bit more, but she is getting better every week, as we get closer and closer to the Trials.
“Emma is well aware of everyone who is around her and what’s happening there (in the highly competitive 50 and 100m freestyle fields).
“She knows she has to be right up to her best to get those individual swims there with no illusions about that.
“She’s very clear about what’s required; that won’t be changing – but one thing about Emma is, she is a great competitor.
“We will just see what happens over the course of the next couple of weeks in what will be a tough grind but a good grind; it will be nice for her, I’m sure.
“She has already spoken about this being her last roll of the dice. Emma has had a great career, and it would be nice to see her top that off with some good performances in Paris.
“We want her fresher rather than fatiguing; making sure that her speed is there and giving her enough rest; she is going to have to be at her best to get those individual swims…it’s not going to be easy….it is why Australia, and the US are so good – if you are not ready to go when those Trials are on then it’s just bad luck.
“It’s quite brutal…you’ve got to have all systems working…all guns firing when the meet starts up.”
SUPERBOHL STAR: Coach Michael Bohl with star backstroker Kaylee McKeown having some fun at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre today. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photography.
And the word on Kaylee McKeown is apart from the 100 and 200m backstroke where she is the defending Olympic champion, and the 200IM, which Bohl describes as a fun event, she has also entered the 100 and 200m freestyles.
“Kaylee will at least swim the heats of the 200 freestyle or she may actually do the heat and the final…we are still talking about it at the moment…. we’ll see how the meet transpires,” said Bohl.
“The 100 and 200m backstrokes are of course the main ones for Kaylee…the IM is a fun event, but she is positioning herself well there, with a lot of people hovering around that 2:07 mark in the IM and she is one of them.
“There are three or four girls there…and any one of them could be on the podium; she is improving in the medley; she’s getting a bit more confident and getting better.
“Her fly is coming along with pbs, her backstroke is obviously very strong, her breaststroke is getting better and the freestyle, with her 4:06 in the 400m..she is positioning herself well.
“But in Paris she has got to survive the rounds and if she does that and makes the final, it’s anyone’s game – the one thing about Kaylee, she’s courageous….”
Townsville’s 30th birthday bash for Emma McKeon and Daiya Seto…Photos Courtesy Townsville Bulletin.
Good to see them paying tribute to the Legends of the Past!
A future prospect WJC Olivia Wunsch just went a PB of mid 53 in a State School Carnival. I’m hoping she can break into the 52sec range at Olympic Trials and make the Relay Team!