DOUG FROST LANDS TOP COACHING JOB IN SCOTLAND

LOUGHBOROUGH, England, October 15: Doug Frost, the man who steered Ian Thorpe to the top of world swimming, has been named as the Head Coach of the new British Swimming Intensive Training Centre (ITC) in Stirling, Scotland, British Swimming announced today.

Frost is regarded as one of the top coaches in world swimming after being given the World Swimming Coaches Association TERAO Award. In his career he has coached countless elite Australian swimmers including Olympic medallists Thorpe and Kirsten Thomson. Frost coached Thorpe from 1997 to his triple gold medal performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

The new appointment will see Frost head up one of the new nationwide network of five ITCs designed to provide a world-class daily training environment for swimmer development and to continue the sport's momentum as it prepares for London 2012.

The former Senior Swimming Coach for the Australian Institute of Sport is looking forward to helping British Swimming build on its success from Beijing.

"I am really excited about taking up my role at the Stirling ITC and working alongside Scottish Swimming," Frost said. "I believe it will be a great experience and I am looking forward to the challenge of setting up the new centre.

"I think with the introduction of the new ITCs in Great Britain there will be a new added element of high-level competition between the centres that will only help further develop the sport, while introducing high-level training facilities will only help develop swimmers in the UK.

"After working at elite level in swimming for the past 18 years I believe I can help make Great Britain a dominant force in international swimming in 2012."

British Swimming's new programme Head Coach Dennis Pursley believes the ITCs will provide the nation's swimmers with the best facilities as they prepare for London 2012 and is pleased to welcome Frost onto the programme.

"We are extremely excited about the ITC programme as it will give our British Swimmers a significant advantage over most of their competitors," said Pursley.

"Doug is obviously best known as being the coach that took Ian Thorpe to his greatest achievement and we know he will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience into the ITC network.

"I believe that Doug will not only be good for Stirling but for British Swimming too. He has an excellent track record of producing results and I think this will help benefit both coaches and swimmers throughout the UK."

British Swimming National Performance Director and former NSWIS and AIS boss Michael Scott has been the driving force behind the implementation of the ITC network and will be looking for British Swimming to continue their momentum after their excellent performance in Beijing.

"Creating a world-class daily training environment is an essential part of our overall strategy towards realising our long-term performance goals," explained Scott. "This will enable us to continue our momentum towards London 2012.

"There are very few training opportunities in the world of swimming that offer world class coaching, highly qualified support staff and ideal training conditions with an exclusive focus on preparation for peak performance in major international competition.

"Nowhere in the world will British swimmers find uncompromised training opportunities more conducive to success in major international competition that in the ITC programme right here in Great Britain."

Director of Performance for Scottish Swimming Ally Whike welcomed Frost's appointment: "Scottish Swimming looks forward to welcoming Doug to the National Swimming Academy.  Doug's coaching credentials speak for themselves and we are confident he will work well within the University environment to take forward performance swimming in Stirling."