Following the closures of ITCs in Stirling and Swansea last week, British Swimming is hoping to adopt a more all-encompassing approach to preparation, development and education for both athletes and coaches within these two facilities.

The announcement comes after a string of changes implemented by British Swimming as they look to recover from poor performances at London 2012 and the 2013 World championships in Barcelona.

It hopes that these new performance hubs will provide the foundation needed for swimming to really kick off in the build up to Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

The Intensive Training Centre at Bath University is one of two that will now become a British Gas GBR National Centres for Swimming following changes made by British Swimming
©Getty Images


The changes to the National Centres are expected to be ready at the beginning of the next year, good news for national performance director for British Swimming Chris Spice, who believes they will also provide great support for the preparations of the home nations prior to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

"These new British Gas GBR National Centres for Swimming will be driven by a real ethos of learning and development for all of those athletes and coaches who have been identified as being able to achieve their potential on the international stage," said Spice.

"Athletes and coaches both from within and from outside of the centres will be able to utilise world class facilities, sport science and medicine support as well as development and educational services within these unique performance environments.

"We will be encouraging coaches and athletes to utilise the National Centres as they take on a performance hub role.

"Athletes aligned to our programmes will be assigned to the National Centres for medical screening, performance analysis and coach education.

"It's important to change the training environment and add fresh stimulus while expanding on knowledge and these centres allow us to do this."

Head coach David McNulty will continue to lead development at the Centre in Bath and Kevin Renshaw will stay in charge of training at Loughborough.

David McNulty coached London 2012 silver medallist Michael Jamieson at the University of Bath, one of the few successes for Team GB swimmers at the Games ©Getty Images



Renshaw set up the Intensive Training Centre in Bath in 2008 and has helped in the development of athletes such as London 2012 silver-medalist Michael Jamieson.

"It's an honour and an absolute privilege to be head coach of the new national centre," he said.

"Over the last five years we've established a centre of excellence at Bath around an unbelievable group of athletes.

"The National Centre now boasts a squad that includes eight Olympians, an Olympic silver medallist, six podium athletes and four podium potential athletes.

"We can now put the best with the best in a training environment on a daily basis.

"We have great staff in place, are positioned in a fantastic city have the support of a superb university, and I'm now ready to take the new centre to the next level of sporting excellence."

As each of the venues sit within a university campus there will also be a residential element to what the National Centres can offer.

This will first be utilised at both centres in February when athletes and coaches gather for a national relay camps.

Peter Keen, director of sport at Loughborough University, expressed his delight that "British Swimming has confirmed Loughborough University as a National Centre for Swimming, and that we will therefore continue to support the best swimmers and coaches in the country as they plan for and train towards Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

He added: "The timing and significance of this decision is particularly relevant for us as the University is preparing to launch a new, ambitious strategy for sport which aims to build even stronger partnerships with major national sports organisations.

"At Loughborough we believe we offer a unique sporting environment that balances the demands placed on students aspiring to be international athletes.

"Our facilities and expertise, alongside our strong sporting ethos will help to ensure that high performance Swimming will feel at home on our campus.

"My colleagues and I very much look forward to supporting the efforts of British Swimming to raise its game and achieve its potential."

Coach education will also play a large part in the role of the National Centres and the appointment of a new coach education manager in the new year will see the centres act a regional hubs to educate elite coaches of the future while working with the current crop.

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