Ben’s Bio

Ben Titley was appointed to the coaching staff for Canada’s 2019 FINA World Championships team. He coached seven athletes, five of which brought home medals. Penny Oleksiak, Taylor Ruck and Rebecca Smith earned three bronze medals in the 4×100 freestyle, 4×200 freestyle and 4×100 medley. Kayla Sanchez captured two bronzes (4×100 free, 4×200 free), Kierra Smith earned a bronze medal in the 4×100 medley.

Last year, Ben Titley was a part of the coaching staff for Canada’s 2018 Commonwealth Games team. He coached Taylor Ruck, Rebecca Smith and Kayla Sanchez, all of whom finished in the top 8 of their races. Taylor Ruck won eight medals (1 gold, 5 silvers, and 2 bronzes) tying the record for winning the most medals at a single Commonwealth Games. Rebecca Smith and Kayla Sanchez both earned silver as members of the 4×200-m freestyle relay.

Titley was also selected for the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo. His swimmers, Taylor Ruck, Kayla Sanchez, Rebecca Smith, and Mack Darragh, continue to be successful on the international stage with top 8 finishes in their events. Ruck became the first Canadian to win five medals at a Pan Pacific Championships. She also won gold and broke the Pan Pacific Championships and Commonwealth record in the 200-m freestyle.

For all his successes in 2018, Ben Titley was awarded the Aquatics Canada Coach of the Year.

Ben Titley was awarded one of the 2017 Swammy Awards: International Coaches of the year. He won this award for his successful group of swimmers which included Penny Oleksiak, Chantal van Landeghem and Richard Funk, who all won medals in Budapest.

Ben Titley was named head coach again for the Rio 2016 Olympic team. Rio 2016 represents Titley’s fourth Olympic assignment, but first as part of a Canadian team. He was part of the British Swimming staff in 2004, 2008 and 2012, including women’s head coach at the Beijing 2008 Games.

At Rio 2016, his swimmers include Penny Oleksiak who won gold in the at the 2016 Olympic Games as well as Chantal Van Landeghem, Sandrine Mainville and Michelle Williams who were a part of Canada’s 4×100 relay team that captured bronze and set a new Canadian record. Titley also guided national team stalwart Audrey Lacroix to qualifying for her third Games. With Lacroix and Oleksiak under his watch, Titley can claim coaching credit for both the oldest and youngest members of the 2016 Olympic team.

Under Titley’s leadership in 2015, Canada won 27 medals, set seven Pan Am Games records and four Canadian records. Every single female team member won at least one medal.

Titley is head coach of the Swimming Canada High Performance Centre – Ontario, where he is aiming to maximize the international success of Canada’s next wave of emerging talent, developing 50-m, 100-m and 200-m events as an area of expertise.

He made his international coaching debut at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and was head coach at the 1999 World University Games. In more than seven years at British Swimming he coached at seven world championships, five Commonwealth Games and numerous other major international meets.

In 2003 Titley coached James Gibson to become the first British male world champion for 28 years. He has coached athletes to more than 150 senior international medals, 300 national records, eight

European records and two world records. Five of Titley’s athletes have won a total of 10 individual medals at FINA World Championships – including three gold – in distances ranging from 50 to 400 metres.