Rohan Taylor Reappointed As Australia’s National Head Coach For A Third Olympic Campaign
Rohan Taylor, the man who steered Australia to gold-studded Olympic campaigns in Tokyo and Paris, has been reappointed as head coach for the next Games in LA28.
THIRD TERM: Rohan Taylor LA28 or bust. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Swimming Australia today confirmed Taylor’s reappointment to the top job and at the same time unveiling the head coaching staff to spearhead the next four-year cycle into the 2028 LA Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Australia’s Olympic success in the pool in Paris, including seven gold medals – just one behind the United States – was a clarion call that Australia is once again the co-dominant swim nation in the world, alongside their American rivals.
And it follows the record nine gold in Tokyo in 2021 and the 13 gold to top the medal tally at the 2023 World Championships.
Taylor said he was honoured to be leading the Olympic Program to LA.
“I am privileged to be working with the coaches, athletes and HP Leadership that make our Dolphins team successful. None of us exist in isolation and the quest for excellence is ongoing across all programs,” said Taylor.
In addition to Taylor and the recent recruitment of Brazilian Olympic coach Fernando Possenti, who will head the Open Water Program, experienced high performance coach Mel Tantrum has been appointed as Paralympic Head Coach and celebrated Olympic coach Simon Cusack the National Youth Coach.
MEL TANTRUM Australia’s new Paralympic Head Coach Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
WA-based Tantrum, who has served as World Junior Head Coach, coached Paralympian Katrina Porter to two world records and a 2008 Paralympic gold medal, as well as Jeremy McClure to a final at the same Paralympics.
Tantrum said: “I am honoured to be appointed National Head Coach of Swimming Australia’s Paralympic Program.
“I am looking forward to working with the motivated and talented coaches and athletes across the country with the vision of being the number one Paralympic Swimming nation in the world. Our goal nationally is to unite and inspire Australians with a disability to swim.
“My role is to innovate and optimise our Paralympic Program to be podium ready for LA in 2028 and ultimately be world’s best in Brisbane in 2032.”
Cusack, a four-time Olympic coach who has spent 20 years coaching the likes of swimming legends Cate and Bronte Campbell and Australia’s most decorated Paralympic champion Ellie Cole, has been appointed fulltime.
He was also campaign head coach of the Dolphins’ team that competed at the World Short Course Championships in Budapest that finished recently, a team which fielded nine rookies and achieved 22 PBs.
SIMON SAYS: Australia’s Youth swimmers in expert hands. Pictured here with Bronte and Cate Campbell. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
National Youth Coach Cusack said he was excited about this role and helping establish a blueprint from a coaching point of view.
“My goal is for coaches coming through the system to have a greater appreciation for perfect technique. There’s been a great investment in skills like starts and turns in recent years,” said Cusack.
“And we’ve seen that flow through but it’s only part of the race, and we need our younger coaches, who seem to be very well versed in physiology to have a far greater appreciation for what it takes to coach the fundamentals of the four strokes – and that’s my immediate focus.”
Executive General Manager of High Performance Greg Shaw said: “With these appointments we are building world class campaign leadership with experienced gold medal coaches.
“Each have coached athletes to win when it matters. Our challenge of going to LA and continuing to grow our performances is immense but with the coaches we have in key roles we have confidence our sport is in the right hands to deliver.”