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Schooling’s former coach takes reins of S’pore swim team

SINGAPORE — Mr Sergio Lopez, the man largely responsible for developing national swimmer Joseph Schooling into an Asian Games champion, is the new head coach of Singapore’s national swimming team at the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA).

SINGAPORE — Mr Sergio Lopez, the man largely responsible for developing national swimmer Joseph Schooling into an Asian Games champion, is the new head coach of Singapore’s national swimming team at the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA).

The 46-year-old Spaniard will also become an adviser coach to the Singapore Sports Institute’s (SSI) coaching academy.

Further details of the appointment will be released at an official announcement soon, but TODAY understands it is a five-year contract starting from January.

Mr Lopez, who has resigned as head coach and aquatics director at the Bolles School in Florida — Mr Schooling’s alma mater — is expected to arrive in Singapore this Friday for a meeting called by the SSA’s executive committee, with the national swim team, their parents, representatives from the SSA’s 34 affiliate clubs and other stakeholders present. The SSA is also expected to announce plans for its high-performance programmes at the meeting.

The familiarity that Mr Lopez, a bronze medallist in the men’s 200m breaststroke at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, has with the national swim team — he was part of its coaching staff, primarily as Mr Schooling’s coach at meets such as the 2012 London Olympics and 2013 World Championships — was a key factor in the SSA choosing him to succeed Briton Ian Turner, who stepped down in August because of health reasons.

“Sergio is the best coach for us because he has the knowledge, experience and track record of developing a swimmer all the way to the top,” SSA president Lee Kok Choy told TODAY.

“He is also someone who understands the Singapore culture, system and policies, having worked with a number of Singapore swimmers including Joseph and Tao Li. When the new team took office in June, we made it clear we aim to take Singapore swimming to greater heights and today marks a milestone in that quest.”

On Mr Lopez’s role at the SSI, its director (coach development) Troy Engle said: “He will assist the greater coaching community as well by actively participating in our coach training programmes of mentorship and continuing coach education, for example, as we establish our Coaching Academy.”

Mr Lopez’s appointment ends months of anxiety with the departures of most of the SSA’s high-performance team, including Turner, in recent months with just over seven months to next year’s SEA Games, which Singapore will host from June 5 to 16.

In a statement, Mr Lopez described his appointment a “privilege” and promised to establish “Singapore Swimming as one of the top in the world over the next five years” as his ultimate goal.

“It is not an easy task, but I believe with the talent of swimmers, coaches and the resources that the SSA and SSI have in place, the dream is attainable,” he said. Relocating with him to Singapore are his wife, Sandy, and children Harley, 15, and Cobi, 13.

In his seven-year spell at Bolles, which is known for producing top swimmers such as 1988 Olympic champion Anthony Nesty, Mr Lopez developed the likes of 2011 World Junior Championship men’s 200m breaststroke bronze medallist Ryan Murphy and women’s 200m individual medley world record holder Ariana Kukors. He also coached the US junior national team and national sides of Curacao, Israel and Mexico.

Former national coach Ang Peng Siong described Mr Lopez’s appointment as “a legacy in the making”.

“Sergio is an ideal candidate for the Singapore sporting landscape, as he is no stranger to high-performance success,” he said. “We can garner his coaching expertise to drive Singapore swimming into the world stage together.”

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