Head coach Ben Titley out at Swimming Canada after 10 years
Brit oversaw Canadian team that won combined 12 medals at past 2 Olympics
Head coach Ben Titley and Swimming Canada have parted ways following a 10-year run of success.
The federation confirmed the news in a statement to Radio-Canada in early March, and again to CBC Sports on Friday.
"We thank Ben for the work he did in building the Ontario high-performance centre (HPC) and for the results he achieved at the Olympic Games. Swimming Canada wishes him the best for the future ," Swimming Canada CEO Ahmed El-Awadi said in an email.
Neither Swimming Canada nor Titley have provided a reason for why his contract, which expired in March, wasn't renewed.
Titley, of England, has overseen the HPC in Toronto since 2012, where he guided the likes of Penny Oleksiak, Kylie Masse and Summer McIntosh through what could be viewed as Canada's golden age of swimming.
Swimming Canada now lists former associate Ryan Mallette as interim head coach of the Toronto HPC on its website. Mallette was previously head coach at the Victoria HPC before joining Titley in 2019.
The departure comes at an odd time, with the world championships set for Hungary in June and the Commonwealth Games in July in England.
Canada's 2022 swimming trials, which will determine the team for worlds, takes place next month in Victoria.
Move to Spain
University of Toronto swimming team head coach Byron MacDonald confirmed to CBC Sports that Titley, who was previously an assistant with the Varsity Blues, will not continue in that position either.
Titley will now join the Spanish team's coaching staff.
"This move is just as important and exciting for my family. My wife and her daughter are French-born in a place very close to the Catalonian border," Titley said in a release announcing the hire.
Under Titley's guidance, Canada won six medals at each of the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, doubling the total of three from London 2012.
Over the past two Games, Oleksiak became Canada's most decorated Olympian with seven podium appearances, including one gold in the 100-metre freestyle in Brazil. Tokyo Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil also spent her final preparation for the Games at the Toronto HPC.
