Eyleifur (Leifi) Johannesson is head coach of Aalborg Svoemmeklub (Aalborg Swim Team) in Aalborg, Denmark. Aalborg is the biggest sports club in north Jutland with more 150 competitive swimmers out of its 2000 members. In the last eight years its team has finished first three times in the Danish club championships and no worse than third since 2013 setting more than 120 new standards, including one European, 22 Nordic, 59 Danish and 57 Danish Junior records. In addition to winning national championships, among its national team members are Olympians and 2019 World Championships team members Mie Nielsen (2x) and Viktor Bromer.
Coach Leifi (left) and Mie Nielsen (right) at the 2015 World Aquatic Championships in Kazan, Russia Photo Courtesy: Aalborg Svoemmeklub (Aalborg Swim Team)
Johannsson began his swimming and coaching career in his native Iceland. In 2007 he moved to Denmark to head Aalborg Svoemmeklub. His international coaching career includes being a part of Icelandic and Danish coaching teams at several European and World Championships and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Aalborg Svoemmeklub (Aalborg Swim Team) head coach Eyleifur (Leifi) Johannesson Photo Courtesy: Aalborg Svoemmeklub (Aalborg Swim Team)
In 2015 Johannesson began following the development of TritonWear and quickly realized the merits of the long-term tracking ability of the company’s real time comprehensive data analytics platform. He has expanded team usage and now utilizes it with the 15-18 members of his elite swimming group. In the last 20 months Johannesson has especially valued the insights gleaned from the tracking information in the system’s 13 different metrics based on swimmer motion. He has found it a helpful educational tool for both coaches and swimmers alike.
In short, TritonWear metrics include splits, stroke rates, index and speed, DPS, time in breakouts, turns and underwater. The data, recorded in a small unit placed inside a swimmer’s cap, is transmitted immediately to an iPad. This information gives coach and swimmer the ability to track training, diagnose weaknesses and monitor progress. Additionally, motion analysis software syncs video with the power of acceleration and speed data. The resulting frame by frame output clearly indicates which movements help a swimmer gain or lose speed within their strokes and skills.
An Aalborg Svoemmeklub (Aalborg Swim Team) workout along with TritonWear technology Photo Courtesy: Aalborg Svoemmeklub (Aalborg Swim Team)
Pricing is an annual per athlete subscription, ($188USD, volume discounts available) and includes all TritonWear tools plus one free Triton 2 unit.
Coach Johannesson is disciplined in his TritonWear approach. He prefers to use it three or four times a week examining the data derived from main set performance. At poolside he immediately passes data recorded on his iPad to his swimmers giving them direct feedback on metrics like stroke count and splits. “This allows great interaction during training,” he says.
“Occasionally when we do sets recording time, stroke count or frequency where other parameters are displayed on a poolside TV I will utilize TW as the timekeeper with aerobic sets so I can spend time looking at and correcting technique.
“TritonWear is like having extra coaches on deck. During training I have a lot of swimmers in the water and only two hands and two eyes. With the collected data it gives the coaches something to look at after training. From that we can make notes and suggest feedback or workout changes for future training sessions,” says Johannesson.
“I use a lot of stroke count, frequency with time or the metric SWOLF (score obtained by adding strokes and time length). This information is particularly helpful in comparing swimmers and their test sets when measuring swim efficiency, i.e.: 8 x 50 on 1:30 with focus on going faster and faster with same number in SWOLF,” he says. “We also use TritonWear during smaller meets and it gives us great feedback on how training is going.”
Female members of Aalborg Svoemmeklub (Aalborg Swim Team) along with their medals Photo Courtesy: Aalborg Svoemmeklub (Aalborg Swim Team)
Johannesson notes that coaches are more diligent about mining data from any of the 13 metrics at home than athletes. “In the end it will be always up to the athlete,” he says. “The data offers a chance to learn new things and ways to perform. And some swimmers just have more interest in looking at data than others. I have the feeling the information benefits everybody — often in different ways. It may not show in results right away, but certainly in better technique and performed workouts.”
“TW has lived up to my expectation,” he says. “I have been really pleased with the service and support. Most swimmers are more aware of what their splits, stroke count and frequencies should be. The information has definitely helped some of my swimmers perform better, swim their races more efficiently and get better results.
Johannesson acknowledges that different swimmers have obtained different results, but rates the outcomes as positive. “Clearly the swimmers have learned a lot from TW; it is a good educational tool. I am satisfied with what it has added to our training. It has certainly given the coaches more options and increased information.
And with the arrival of his Triton2 units in January he anticipates improved performance.
Aalborg Svoemmeklub (Aalborg Swim Team) Logo Photo Courtesy: Aalborg Svoemmeklub (Aalborg Swim Team)
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Katie Marr at 416-357-2839 or katie@tritonwear.com
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