 |
| Dirk Lange in a meeting with |Baja California Sports Director, Saul Castro Verdugo. |
TIJUANA, Mexico (INDE/AIPS) - German Swimming coach Dirk Lange visited the Baja California High Performance Center and held a meeting with local sports authorities as part of the project impulsed by the Mexican Swimming Federation.
Just a few weeks ago, Lange, who was in charge of South Africa’s Swimming Program , was appointed as the new National Technical Director by Mexican Federation Officers along with the National Sports Commission (CONADE).
In Tijuana Lange was received by Baja California Sports Director, Saul Castro Verdugo, who welcomed the German coach and wished a successful experience with the instructors that work along with the swimming programs throughout the country.
The visit to Baja California was the first stop of a journey across the main training centers, located in cities such as Monterrey, Queretaro, Mexico City and Guadalajara, site of the 2011 Pan Am Games and was selected by the FINA to host the 2017 World Championships.
“My job is to be in Mexico with the swimmers, with the coaches to set up a new national structure, an the other part is to be outside of Mexico assisting the teams in going out to Europe and the United States, preparing and training overseas”, said Lange.
Basically the two main goals of this project are to prepare the mexican swimmers for those Championships as well as for the Olympic cycle of Rio de Janeiro 2016.
“I see youth potential in swimming in Mexico. The facilities are actually very good for training, at the same level as the ones used by the best swimmers of the World like Michael Phelps and Cesar Cielo Filho”, he added.
Just a few weeks ago, Lange, who was in charge of South Africa’s Swimming Program , was appointed as the new National Technical Director by Mexican Federation Officers along with the National Sports Commission (CONADE).
In Tijuana Lange was received by Baja California Sports Director, Saul Castro Verdugo, who welcomed the German coach and wished a successful experience with the instructors that work along with the swimming programs throughout the country.
The visit to Baja California was the first stop of a journey across the main training centers, located in cities such as Monterrey, Queretaro, Mexico City and Guadalajara, site of the 2011 Pan Am Games and was selected by the FINA to host the 2017 World Championships.
“My job is to be in Mexico with the swimmers, with the coaches to set up a new national structure, an the other part is to be outside of Mexico assisting the teams in going out to Europe and the United States, preparing and training overseas”, said Lange.
Basically the two main goals of this project are to prepare the mexican swimmers for those Championships as well as for the Olympic cycle of Rio de Janeiro 2016.
“I see youth potential in swimming in Mexico. The facilities are actually very good for training, at the same level as the ones used by the best swimmers of the World like Michael Phelps and Cesar Cielo Filho”, he added.
 |
| Lange exchanged experiences and impressions with some members of the local team of Baja. |
In questions of infrastructure there is nothing to complain, and one of the most important steps is to work focused on the senior categories. “We can just observe the different ways of working and change the prospective of coaches view”.
At the senior level the average age of a swimmer is between 25 to 27 years
old, while in Mexico the programs have focused entirely in working with
teenagers, specifically in the under 17 group, for example.
Lange said that is the same stage as the one seen in soccer, with the Mexican U-17 teams that conquered two FIFA World Championships, in 2005 and 2011.
As an Olympic coach, Lange successfully coached Germany’s Sandra Völker, who won three medals (1 silver and 2 bronze) and Therese Alshamer, who won 2 silver and 1 bronze.
In South Africa, Lange guided the career of Cameron van der Burgh, winner of a World Cup in 2008 and World champion in 2009, as well as Gerhard Zandberg, (2007 world champion) and Ryk Neethling (3 times World champion in 2006).
Those have been some of the reasons, Mexican Swimming Federation analyzed the choices to consider him as Technical Director. At this moment Lange divides his time between Mexico and Germany. Once a diagnose has been made, the foundation for a solid project must start once the Olympic Cycle of London 2012 closes.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario