Simmonds Swims To Senior Programme
2008-04-18
Craig Lord
Elizabeth Simmonds, a 17-year-old on a minute and 2:08 on backstroke, is stepping up from the local club programme that nurtured her to the national-team camp at Loughborough under the guidance of GB head women's coach Ben Titley

Elizabeth Simmonds, a 17-year-old on a minute and 2:08 on backstroke, is stepping up from the local club programme that has nurtured herfor many year to the national-team camp at Loughborough under the guidance of GB head women's coach Ben Titley.

Simmonds will begin full-time training at Loughborough University's 50m pool on Monday alongside the likes of Liam Tancock, Caitlin McClatchey and Kate Haywood, who also hailed from Lincoln Vulcans.

Selected at 13 for the Smart Track programme set up by Bill Sweetenham, former performance director, Simmonds and her talent were nurtured at Lincoln Vulcans by coaches Graham Bassi and Marc Spackman. During that time, Simmonds has been a regular visitor to Loughborough, where Sweetenham once told tales of "many a cheeky note left on my chalkboard" by the teenage talent breezing through her home from home once a week.

Making the university her permanent base will provide Simmonds with more regular support from national-team coaches and sports scientists. In a statement issued through British Swimming, she said: 'It was a difficult decision to leave Lincoln but after having discussions with Marc [Spackman] we both decided that it would be a natural progression for me. Loughborough University will provide me with the perfect environment to help my development towards the Olympic Games.

'Moving to Loughborough is the next step in my development, I will get to work with other athletes that are ranked higher than me in the world and I will be able to aspire to meet their level. Loughborough University will provide a professional environment with specialist weight areas and dedicated staff that will help me take the step up that I am ready to take.'

Simmonds has been at Loughborough this week on an orientation camp with the Olympic team after emerging from a home world s/c championships with a silver medal in the 200m backstroke, her 2:02.60 a European record and second-fastest ever behind the world record set couple of strokes ahead of her by Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), on 2:00.91.

Simmonds will look back with fondness at her years of growth at Lincoln Vulcans under the guidance of Bassi and Spackman, both os whom she has thanked: 'Lincoln is a great club and I enjoyed my time there but now I am ready to re-focus my training and work in an environment where I can have constant access to a long-course pool.'

Spackman said: 'I wish Lizzie luck in her new environment. I hope she can achieve everything she aims to. I know she is an extremely talented swimmer and I know she has the potential to be an Olympic champion one day. The facilities in Loughborough are great and she will be training alongside some of the best athletes in the country which I believe will push her forward.'