Justina Kozan, World Juniors Gold Medalist, Makes Switch to Mission Viejo Nadadores Ahead of Olympic Year

Photo Courtesy: FINA / Budapest 2019

2019 World Juniors 200 IM gold medalist Justina Kozan will be representing the Mission Viejo Nadadores in the near future, she told Swimming World. Kozan, who is one of the top recruits in the class of 2022, had recently made the change from BREA Aquatics in southern California to the legendary Mission Viejo Nadadores, led by hall of fame coach Mark Schubert.

Kozan recently made the switch across town to train at Mission Viejo, believing that she needed more competition in practice. It was a difficult decision, since she is still really close with BREA coach Jim Johnson.

“I still consider Jim my best friend,” Kozan said.

Although it has been a rough adjustment with the increase in yardage per Schubert’s notorious distance background, it has been good for her so far.

“He’s a really good coach, I really like him. He is really supportive,” Justina Kozan said of Schubert. “But his practices are a lot more distance than I’m used to so it’s kind of different.”

Kozan has been with Mission Viejo for about a month and a half, making the decision to switch at the end of the school year, as the Nadadores were one of the first swim teams to get back in the water after USA Swimming published safety guidelines. She has transitioned nicely, albeit with some hinderances along the way.

“I was getting back into shape and I felt pretty good, and I went to the beach and I had to get stitches from being hit by a surf board so I was out for a little bit,” Kozan said. “Then I got back into training and hurt my shoulder so I’ve been kicking.”

Justina Kozan made her Team USA debut at the 2019 World Juniors last summer where she won gold in the 200 IM and 4×200 freestyle relay, as well as prelim duty for the 4×100 free relay and the mixed 4×100 medley relay. In 2019, she was ranked seventh in the United States in the 200 IM and 22nd in the 200 freestyle.

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Unanimously Anonymous

3 years ago

101 good reasons not to coach in SoCal:
1-100: Your swimmers will be stolen.
101: if you speak up, you will be gaslighted.

Mark Schubert

3 years ago

Reply to Unanimously Anonymous

Not an intelligent statement. The parents and swimmers came to the club, not vise versa. Get your facts straight!