A Quartet from Denmark IslandStats.com The Danish National Swim Team has confirmed Bermuda for training this winter as it prepares for the 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“It’s great to have the opportunity to come to Bermuda,” said Denmark’s Head Swimming Coach Nick Juba. “We are looking forward to it very much.”
The team’s training camp in Bermuda was facilitated through a strategic partnership between the National Sports Centre (NSC) and the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA), which allows visiting teams to use the facilities at the National Sports Centre based upon the scope of the event and its impact on the island. In this case, the Danish team and coaching staff of about 20 men and women – including a world record-holder, an Olympic medalist and a world champion – will train in the NSC pool over a two-week period beginning in late January 2016. They will stay at CoCo Reef Hotel.
“As we explained in September we have seen very good traction in the early days of this agreement, but the Danish National Swim Team coming here to prepare for the 2016 Olympics is easily the most high profile visit since the agreement took effect in April,” said BTA’s Chief Product and Experiences Development Officer Pat Phillip-Fairn. “Naturally we’re very excited. The Danes confirm that our strategy of Bermuda as a sports training ground is a winning strategy, especially as it relates to the shoulder season.”
Coach Juba says while in Bermuda they will be “dress-rehearsing” conditions in Rio including acclimatization and race start times. He’s especially interested in taking advantage of Bermuda’s time zone similarities to Rio’s.
Juba said: “The pressure for television coverage has resulted in the heats starting at 14:00 hours rather than morning-time and the evening finals starting at 22:00 hours. We will be trying to adjust to these out of the ordinary demands whilst we are in Bermuda.”
“Between now and March we have visiting college teams using our facilities, high school teams and now an Olympic team,” said NSC Aquatics & Fitness Manager Amy Fox. “This is exactly what was envisaged when we focused in on the winter months as part of our agreement with the BTA. I think it’s fair to say this is just the beginning.”
Members of the public with connections to international sports teams and associations that may consider training in Bermuda should explore the BTA’s Bring It Home Campaign. Visiting sports groups may be eligible for assistance in covering the cost of using NSC facilities.
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