KUALA LUMPUR: Dr Jan Olbrecht, a world-renowned expert in high-performance swimming, believes Malaysian swimming can thrive if modern coaching methods are thoroughly implemented.
Olbrecht, who has more than four decades of experience advising elite athletes, delivered his insights at a two-day post-Malaysia Games (Sukma) swimming conference attended by 80 participants, including coaches and former national swimmers, at a local hotel here.
According to him, swimming is a complex and ever-evolving sport, requiring coaches to adopt modern approaches for athletes to progress.
"Swimming is a unique combination of technique, conditioning, and mental fortitude that takes time to master," said Olbrecht.
"If you're strong in conditioning but weak in technique, you will never become a top swimmer, even if you're exceptionally talented.
"You must excel in technique and handle stress well. The sport is far more complex than it was 50 years ago.
"I hope my advice will help coaches upgrade their methods based on new scientific findings."
Olbrecht noted that some coaches are hesitant to embrace change, often because they're unsure how to implement it.
"Workshops like these can help coaches become more confident in improving their methods.
"Coaches must understand why they're following a certain programme and share both its successes and failures.
"They need to challenge themselves by figuring out why their training programmes aren't delivering results.
"With the examples I've presented, I believe you'll see progress in Malaysian swimming within a year."
Olbrecht has worked with numerous Olympic and world champions, including Inge de Bruijn, Pieter van den Hoogenband, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Kyle Chalmers, Duncan Scott, and Florent Manaudou.
His athletes have collectively won over 150 gold medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships.
Among the former national swimmers who attended the workshop were Nurul Hudda Abdullah, Marilyn Chuah and Daniel Bego.