BANGKOK (Reuters):
WORLD RECORDS will tumble in unprecedented numbers at next year's Olympics in Beijing, with the swimming world gearing up for the fastest and fiercest Games yet, according to Britain's head coach Bill Sweetenham.
Sweetenham, who coached swimming giants Australia at four Olympics, is predicting an avalanche of world records, with more countries vying for podium places and challenging the dominance of Australia and the United States.
"We will see the fastest, most aggressive Olympics in history," Sweetenham told Reuters in a recent interview at the World University Games in Thailand.
"There will be an onslaught of world records, everyone's expecting something very special."
The controversial Australian, who has coached 27 Olympic medallists and more than a dozen world record holders, said swimming was progressing faster than any other sport and will reach "amazing if more money is generated.
Most progressive sport
"It's the most progressive sport in the world, just look at the number of world records in Melbourne," he said, referring to this year's World Championships, where 14 new marks were set, 11 by U.S. swimmers.
"When the swimmers start getting paid, the performances will go through the roof. The best is to come. When we put money in, you will see amazing things."
The 57-year-old, who established the Australian youth programme that produced 11-time world champion Ian Thorpe, believes the U.S. will dominate in the Beijing pool but forecasts a "patchy" Games for their traditional rivals Australia.
Sweetenham expects Japan to spring a surprise and threaten China, who despite their dismal World Championships and a shaky 2006 Asian Games, will be a formidable force with their home advantage.
"The biggest improvers will be Japan without question," he said. "It's cultural. They've always wanted to beat China in their own backyard. They have the passion and the desire to steal the thunder from China.
"China is struggling now, but no country which has hosted the Olympics has struggled. They have the will of the home crowd."
Britain enlisted the services of the uncompromising Queenslander after the debacle of the Sydney Olympics in 2000, where they failed to deliver a single medal for the first time since 1924.
Tough regime
He has since won plaudits for his no-nonsense approach and his transformation of British swimming, his tough regime yielding 18 medals in his first three World Championships - more than they had won in the previous eight competitions.
He brought in top coaches, sports scientists, psychologists and dieticians to develop British swimmers, who came close to ending Australia's rule of the pool in the past two Commonwealth Games.
But a below-par Athens Olympics in 2004 and an investigation a year later into allegations of bullying cast a dark cloud over that success.
At times, he questioned his decision to take a pay cut to leave his homeland for a country with "Third World" swimming facilities.
He will part company with Britain after Beijing and has expressed a desire to return to his homeland.
"It was heartbreaking," said Sweetenham, who was cleared of any wrongdoing. "They brought me in to change British swimming but when it got tough, British swimming wanted to change me."
He added: "I've had massive struggles moving things forward in Britain, but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and I knew it wouldn't be easy.
"A couple of countries have approached me but I would prefer to be in Australia, helping Australia, because I'm an Aussie after all."
