Australian team has ‘mojo’ back, says coach

MELBOURNE: Australian swimming has its “mojo” back in the lead-up to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, according to Jacco Verhaeren, but the head coach warned his team not to get too excited by their rankings.

The nation’s top swimmers wrapped up a successful Olympic trials on Thursday and the 34-member squad bound for the August 5-21 Games in Brazil includes 10 boasting the year’s best times in their events.

The encouraging results have raised hopes the team can restore Australia’s swagger in the Olympic pool after the London 2012 Games squad managed only a single title in their worst medal haul in 20 years.

“I think swimming has got its mojo back which is a great thing,” Verhaeren told reporters in Adelaide.

“But rankings going into an Olympics don’t mean much. What it means is that you are competitive. The job now is to keep everyone relaxed and make sure they do the job. We will never talk about medals or records,” he added.

Australia’s swimmers have previously been criticised for their bravado, with former world champion James Magnussen and his 100 metre freestyle relay team-mates talking up their gold medal credentials months before London.

Though raging favourites, Magnussen was pipped for the individual title by American Nathan Adrian, while the relay team failed to make the podium.

A review of the London flop later found evidence of a “toxic” culture around the team, with allegations of drunkenness and bullying.

Appointed in a coaching shake-up after the review, Dutchman Verhaeren has worked hard to restore morale and veteran swimmer Alicia Coutts, who amassed five medals at London and will compete in her third Olympics in Rio, said the team had come a long way. “It’s nice to see that camaraderie around the pool,” she said