17 Jun 2011

Swimming NZ takes review on the chin

12:39 pm on 17 June 2011

Swimming New Zealand's chairman Murray Coulter says his board will take the critical findings of independent review of its high performance programme on the chin.

The review says swimmers feel the programme has a negative culture with many of those consulted saying it's dysfunctional and a barrier to success at the Olympics in London.

SPARC initiated the independent review by former Sports Foundation chief executive Chris Ineson.

Coulter says the report's five recommendations are accepted, although some have been addressed.

He says a high performance committee, including former Olympian Alison Fitch, will implement them urgently as the London Olympics are 13 months away.

However Coulter's not sure what the committee will think of one finding - that the sport's too small for the overlapping positions of head coach and General Manager Performance and Pathways.

He says that's not what a former Australian coach Bill Swettenham thought in a 2008 review.