'Centre must open earlier,' says coach

A TOP Great Britain coach has slammed the amount of time Guernsey's top swimmers can spend in Beau Sejour's pool. Mick Hepwood, coach coordinator for the south of England, is in the island to check on Matt Butt, who is on a Great Britain elite training scheme and to meet local coaches.

He was stunned to learn that swimmers can train in the pool only from 7am.

He met Beau Sejour's director of leisure services Keith Gallienne to raise his concerns.

'I have never known an athlete not being able to train before that time,' said Hepwood.

'To me there seems to be a big stumbling block that we've got to remove, otherwise the potential for Matt and his colleagues is limited.

'They are only training 12 hours a week. Ideally we need to be able to get them 20 to 24 hours a week.

'I'm very concerned about this. If Matt and the others come through, it will be not because of the system but it will be despite the system.'

Hepwood stated that top junior swimmers should be in the water by 5.30am, after warming up, and be training until 7.30.

'Here, they're in at 7am and out at 7.45am,' he said.

'Also the coach is not able to warm up the swimmers before the session. They have to go straight in.'

The Norwich-based Hepwood has spent the last five years as the south of England's top coach. He had his first coaching job in 1971.

He has trained a number of British Olympic swimmers including Nick Gillingham, who won silver at Seoul in 1988 in the 200m breaststroke.

'For the Olympics it takes 10 years of intense preparation, averaging four hours of training a day, to reach that standard,' he said.

'Guernsey's swimmers have 45 minutes in the morning and two hours at night at the moment.'

In September after the ASA National Bagcats Championships in Sheffield, Butt was selected for the national junior elite training scheme and the world-class age-group programme for the top swimmers in the country between 12 and 14 years old.

Hepwood was full of praise for the 13-year-old and his coach at the Guernsey Swimming Club, Jo Winberg.

'He's got potential and he's got to be good to achieve what he's achieved, but he does not get the time,' he said.

'I'm happy with Jo. She knows what she needs to do but she does not have the time.'

But Hepwood did not have any other criticisms of Beau Sejour.

'The facilities are great, they are excellent,' he said.

'Beau Sejour is clean, the staff are friendly but it's just not being used to its full potential.'

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But Hepwood does have concerns over the political wrangling that had gone on for years between the two clubs on the island, Guernsey Swimming Club and Beau Sejour Barracudas.

'Because of the skills they have collectively, it would be a benefit if they could work together,' he said.

After their meeting, both Hepwood and Gallienne agreed that it had gone very well.

'We had a very productive meeting,' said Gallienne.

'I've taken what he's said on board and we are going to look to see what we can do.

'Culture and Leisure is always keen to support local athletes who have the potential and the ability to succeed at the highest level.'