Latest news with #RohanTaylor
Reuters
6 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Australia see another gold rush at Los Angeles 2028 after strong world championships
MELBOURNE, Aug 7 (Reuters) - After a strong showing at the world championships in Singapore, Australia's head coach is confident a golden generation of swimmers can deliver another big performance at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. While the United States edged Australia to top the Singapore standings with nine golds and 29 medals overall, Australia were cheered by the team's tally of eight golds among 20 medals. "From a performance point of view, when you look at the medal table, it was a great outcome for us," head coach Rohan Taylor told Reuters. Led by a crop of generational talents in their women's programmes, Australia has rivalled the United States' supremacy at the last two Olympics, scooping seven golds from the Paris Games pool after a team record haul of nine at Tokyo. The United States topped both Games meets, with nine golds at Paris and 11 at Tokyo. European nations are making inroads, particularly in men's events, but Australia's Olympic champions showed they have lost none of their hunger since Paris. Backstroke queen Kaylee McKeown swept the 100m and 200m golds in Singapore in a repeat of the 2023 Fukuoka world championships, while Mollie O'Callaghan grabbed a second women's 200m freestyle title and was instrumental in Australia's two freestyle relay golds. The evergreen Cameron McEvoy stormed to the men's 50m freestyle gold, becoming Australia's oldest world champion swimmer at 31. Australia invests heavily in swimming which has contributed about a third of its total Olympic medals and produced an honour roll of champions such as Ian Thorpe, Dawn Fraser and Emma McKeon. Taylor and his staff are tasked with keeping the good times rolling through to 2032 when Australia host the Olympics in Brisbane. Australia were missing big names in Singapore, including the resting four-times Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus and injured breaststroker Zac Stubblety-Cook, a former world champion. However, there were statement performances from lesser lights. The partially deaf Meg Harris claimed her first individual title in the women's 50 freestyle, having shared all her previous gold medals at global events with relay teammates. Teen talents Milla Jansen and Olivia Wunsch helped Australia win the women's 4x100m freestyle relay in the absence of Shayna Jack and the retired Emma McKeon. Lani Pallister gave American great Katie Ledecky a scare in the 800m freestyle, while beating Canada's irrepressible Summer McIntosh for the silver medal. Pallister's time of 8:05.98 shaved five seconds off her personal best and was the sixth fastest on record, marking her as a big threat to Ledecky's bid for a record-extending fifth Olympic gold in the event at LA. "Ledecky is the greatest distance female ... we've ever seen," said Taylor. "But at some point there'll be an athlete taking over and I'm sure Lani is motivated to do that." For all the podium celebrations, Australia have work to do to ensure they can challenge U.S. supremacy at LA. The U.S. team's results in Singapore were probably affected by an outbreak of gastroenteritis at their pre-meet camp in Thailand. Australia made little impression in the men's backstroke and breaststroke and consequently had modest results in the medley relay events. The women were well-beaten for the 4x100m medley relay gold by the world record-setting U.S. team, which cost silver medallists Australia their top spot on the medal table. Taylor said Australia needed to develop more depth in men's backstroke and breaststroke across the board to strengthen their relay teams. "If we keep building on that, we will always be around the mark."
ABC News
26-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Australia's new wave of swimmers faces resilience test at world titles in Singapore
The new wave of Australian swimmers faces an immediate resilience test at the world titles, head coach Rohan Taylor says. Taylor is overseeing a Dolphins team with a near-quarter of debutants, plus five new coaches, at the championships starting on Sunday in Singapore. "We don't have a footy game every week, we go once this year," Taylor said. "So we have got to make sure that they get the experience. "Next year we will have a multiple competitions that they will be exposed to. "But the first one is the one that will test their resilience." Proven performers and gold-medal winners including Kaylee McKeown, Kyle Chalmers, Cam McEvoy and Mollie O'Callaghan form a core of a team including 10 world championship rookies including 16-year-old breaststroker Sienna Toohey. And the 10-strong coaching team under Swimming Australia's head coach Taylor has been revamped after last year's Paris Olympics with five fresh faces. Taylor was impressed with integration of the newcomers at the Dolphins' camp in Darwin before arriving in Singapore. "Having new people come in — a quarter of the team, half the coaching staff — they slotted in really well, it was really nice to see. That is the first step," he said. "The second step will be when they get into competition, obviously anything can happen. "It's going to be how they manage themselves, manage the ups and downs that come with it. "We have had a pretty consistent group of coaches and athletes over the last cycle that we worked with. This is just a new test for us as a leadership." The titles were vital for Taylor's plans for the ultimate goal, the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. "I want to be able to look at the next three years to ensure we're working on all the key things for LA," he said. "I just want to know where are our gaps, where are our strengths … and what do we need to be doing about it as an organisation." Australia will unveil a revamped women's 4x100m freestyle relay team on night one at the Singapore Sports Hub. The retired Emma McKeon, and Shayna Jack, who missed selection, are missing from the relay team that won Olympic gold last year. Also on night one, Paris silver medallist Elijah Winnington and a rejuvenated Sam Short renew rivalry with Germany's Olympic champion Lukas Martens in the men's 400m freestyle. And with Ariarne Titmus yet to return post-Olympics, Lani Pallister will fly the Australian flag in a highly-anticipated women's 400m freestyle boasting Canadian Summer McIntosh and American legend Katie Ledecky. McIntosh, at Canada's trials last month, regained the 400m free world record from Titmus and also set global records in the 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley. AAP
Perth Now
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Australian swimming's fresh wave face world title test
The new wave in Australian swimming face an immediate resilience test at the world titles, head coach Rohan Taylor says. Taylor is overseeing a Dolphins team with a near-quarter of debutants, plus five new coaches, at the championships starting on Sunday in Singapore. "We don't have a footy game every week, we go once this year," Taylor told AAP. "So we have got to make sure that they get the experience. "Next year we will have a multiple competitions that they will be exposed to. "But the first one is the one that will test their resilience." Proven performers and gold-medal winners including Kaylee McKeown, Kyle Chalmers, Cam McEvoy and Mollie O'Callaghan form a core of a team including 10 world championship rookies including 16-year-old breaststroker Sienna Toohey. And the 10-strong coaching team under Swimming Australia's head coach Taylor has been revamped after last year's Paris Olympics with five fresh faces. Taylor was impressed with integration of the newcomers at the Dolphins' camp in Darwin before arriving in Singapore. "Having new people come in - a quarter of the team, half the coaching staff - they slotted in really well, it was really nice to see. That is the first step," he said. "The second step will be when they get into competition, obviously anything can happen. "It's going to be how they manage themselves, manage the ups and downs that come with it. "We have had a pretty consistent group of coaches and athletes over the last cycle that we worked with. This is just a new test for us as a leadership." The titles were vital for Taylor's plans for the ultimate goal, the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. "I want to be able to look at the next three years to ensure we're working on all the key things for LA," he said. "I just want to know where are our gaps, where are our strengths ... and what do we need to be doing about it as an organisation." Australia will unveil a revamped women's 4x100m freestyle relay team on night one at the Singapore Sports Hub. The retired Emma McKeon and Shayna Jack, who missed selection, are missing from the relay team that won Olympic gold last year. Also on night one, Paris silver medallist Elijah Winnington and a rejuvenated Sam Short renew rivalry with Germany's Olympic champion Lukas Martens in the men's 400m freestyle. And with Ariarne Titmus yet to return post-Olympics, Lani Pallister will fly the Australian flag in a highly-anticipated women's 400m freestyle boasting Canadian Summer McIntosh and American legend Katie Ledecky. McIntosh, at Canada's trials last month, regained the 400m free world record from Titmus and also set global records in the 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley.
Toronto Star
25-07-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Australia's swimming dominance: Small population but big results
SINGAPORE (AP) — Australia has a relatively small population. But Australia is a giant when it comes to competitive swimming. Whether it's the Olympics, or as it is this time with the swimming world championships opening in the pool in Singapore on Sunday, Aussie swimmers grace the podium. 'We have swimming in our DNA as a country,' Rohan Taylor, Australia's head coach, told The Associated Press.
Washington Post
25-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Australia's swimming dominance: Small population but big results
SINGAPORE — Australia has a relatively small population. But Australia is a giant when it comes to competitive swimming. Whether it's the Olympics, or as it is this time with the swimming world championships opening in the pool in Singapore on Sunday, Aussie swimmers grace the podium. 'We have swimming in our DNA as a country,' Rohan Taylor, Australia's head coach, told The Associated Press.
