Titans Welcome International Fin Swimmer

The Ellesmere College Titans Swimming Club have welcomed Helena Kocourkova from the Czech Republic national fin swimming team to their formidable coaching set up.

Helena joins British Olympic breaststroke double finalist Darren Mew and UKCC Level 3 Coach Jon Pardoe at the Club.

Fin swimming is a fast growing sport all around the world and is seen by the Titans as an excellent way for conventional swimmers to train. Pool fin swimming races are organised in much the same way as conventional swimming competitions. However it is the permitted use of a monofin and snorkel that makes the sport different. Races can either be swum on the surface or underwater without a breath for 50m or with an oxygen bottle for longer events..
As a result fin swimming is much faster than conventional swimming. The world record for a conventional 50 m freestyle swum in a 25m shortcourse pool is 20.81 seconds. This was set at the recent World Championships held in Manchester by Race Club swimmer Duje Draganja. The fin swimming surface record for the same distance is 15.20 seconds and the underwater record is 14.83 seconds.

Coincidentally it was from the Titans link with the Florida based Race Club, that Titans head coach Jon Pardoe first struck upon the idea of working with a world class fin swimmer.

Head Coach Jon Pardoe said "Having witnessed some of the best swimmers in the World training at The Race Club - it is self evident that there is much more to success than simply ploughing up and down a pool swimming 6000m of frontcrawl a day.

We are delighted that Helena has agreed to join the Titan coaching set up. To excel in anything in life you have to dare to be different and try new methods of doing things. In conventional swimming the ability to swim fast underwater cannot be overstressed. The first 15m of every length can be swum underwater and swimmers who can master the technique have a significant advantage.

The Titans are gradually assembling a first class team to match their superb facilities and boundless enthusiasm and ambition."

Helena Kocourkova said "I'm really excited to be joining the Titans coaching set up. In all my years of swimming I have never come across a club with such positive and ambitious swimmers. I'm sure that I can really make a difference".

Ellesmere College Headmaster Brendan Wignall commented "I am delighted with the Titans progress. It is only 4 months since the Club was first established and in that time they have assembled a first class coaching team providing 12 hours per week of short and long course training. The results are there for all to see - the club already has a number of National Age Group top 10 ranked swimmers".

3rd October 2008  Back to News