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Victoria NextGen program joins high performance network

VICTORIA – Swimming Canada continues to grow its high performance development system in western Canada, adding the NextGen Institute Program – Victoria to its network.

Previously operating under the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific banner, the NGIP-VIC will now become a full-fledged Swimming Canada program, in partnership with CSIP, Swim BC and Own the Podium.

The goal is to ensure a progressive stream of coaches and athletes are being trained to standards required to win Olympic and World Championship medals. Athletes selected to the NGIP-VIC will swim within the Swimming Canada High Performance Centre-Victoria (HPC-VIC). NGIP-VIC Head Coach, Brad Dingey will lead the program, with technical oversight from HPC-VIC Head Coach Ryan Mallette and Swimming Canada high performance staff. The program will be supported with appropriate sport science and sport medicine services through CSIP.

Dingey took over the program in 2015 when Mallette moved to the HPC-VIC from the NextGen role. He coached Olympic medallists Hilary Caldwell and Richard Weinberger as age group swimmers at Pacific Sea Wolves Swim Club in White Rock, B.C. His international coaching roles include last year’s Junior Pan Pacific Championships and the upcoming FINA World Junior Championships.

Swimmers from the NextGen program have shown promising results in the past year. Sarah Darcel represented Canada at the FINA World Championships (25m) in Windsor, Ont., contributing to a gold medal in the women’s 4×50-metre freestyle relay. Mackenze Padington, meanwhile, earned a spot on this summer’s senior national team heading to Budapest, Hungary for the long-course FINA World Championships. Meanwhile, Rob Hill and Danica Ludlow will be representing Canada at the Summer Universiade in Taipei.

“My hope is we’re performing and delivering on everything we said we would. Our stated objective is to continue keeping kids on the pathway to high performance,” Dingey said. “One advantage we have here in Victoria is working directly with the High Performance Centre. I hope when I look at the Team Canada that’s going to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Games, our fingerprints will be scattered throughout that team and we will have had a really good impact on performance for Canada at that level. I don’t see any reason we shouldn’t be able to do that. We’re off to a good start and we have to keep going.

Selected athletes will have demonstrated potential, with benchmarks including Canadian Junior Swimming Championships standards and Swimming Canada “On Track” times. Participants pay a registration fee of $3,100 for the year. Athletes will have targeted access to the HPC – Victoria Integrated Support Team (IST), which includes specialists in physiotherapy, massage therapy, mental performance, biomechanics, physiology, nutrition, and strength and conditioning.

Swimmers wishing to apply to the NGIP-VIC should contact Michelle Poirier – Swimming Canada, Manager, High Performance Centres and Coaches ([email protected]). by Aug. 11.

For further information, please consult the 2017-2018 Selection Guidelines HERE.