U.S. Paralympics Swimming is bringing eight assistant coaches to Paris subsequent month to help new head coach John Payne.
Payne’s workers will characteristic Chelsea Piers Swim Group head coach James Barone, College of Northern Iowa head coach Ben Colin, Milford Athletic Membership Masters head coach Kris Goodrich, Carson Tigersharks head coach Julie Hardt, Swim Fort Lauderdale Masters head coach Marty Hendrick, present resident staff coach George Leatherman, Nitro Swimming assistant coach Patrick McCloskey, and YMCA of the North Shore Sharks head coach Dave Modzelewski.
Barone is headed to his first Paralympics together with his swimmer, Ali Truwit, who broke an American file at Trials final month after shedding her foot in a shark assault final yr. Colin can be on his solution to his first Paralympics together with his swimmer, Olivia Chambers, however he gained precious worldwide teaching expertise final summer time as an assistant on the 2023 Para World Championships.
Goodrich helped coach the U.S. Para squad at each the Parapan American Video games and World Championships final yr. McCloskey and Modzelewski additionally served on the Group USA workers eventually yr’s Parapan American Video games in Santiago, Chile.
Hardt is a former Para Swimming World Sequence coach who “focuses on creating staff cohesion,” in line with U.S. Para Swimming. Abbas Karimi, a member of the Refugee Group on the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, has thrived underneath the tutelage of Hendrick as he earned his second Paralympic look for Group USA final month.
Leatherman has served on the U.S. Para workers since at the least 2022, overseeing coaching plans in Colorado Springs following the departure of former head coach Nathan Manley for unspecified causes. Manley lately resurfaced as head coach at Division II Anderson College in South Carolina.
“We chosen a various teaching workers with a wealth of expertise that can accomplice nicely with the 33 athletes competing in Paris. We wished to herald a training workers who know our swimmers nicely, and who has confirmed their dedication to Para swimming prior to now quad,” stated Erin Popovich, director of U.S. Paralympics Swimming. “These coaches have been excellent sources for our program prior to now three years since Tokyo, and we’ve got little question they may assist lead our staff to a profitable Video games.”
Final month, U.S. Paralympics Swimming revealed its roster of 33 swimmers — 21 ladies and 12 males — who shall be competing in Paris from August 28 by way of September 8. Elizabeth Marks and Morgan Stickney clocked world data at Trials whereas Jessica Lengthy certified for her team-leading sixth Paralympics.