Ben Titley named head coach of Canada's Olympic swimming team
Of the 27 swimmers going to Summer Games, 20 are Olympic rookies
The upcoming Rio Games will be Ben Titley's fourth time coaching at the Olympics, but his first with the Canadian team.
After successfully leading Canada's swimmers through the 2015 Pan Am Games, Titley has been named head coach of Canada's 2016 Olympic swim team.
"It's an honour," said Titley. "Obviously we've got very good young talent on both the men's and women's side. We're shooting for medals and the best performances we can."
Titley was a decorated British swimming coach and was part of Britain's swimming's staff at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. He came to Canada in 2013 and has since reinvigorated Swimming Canada's program after taking over the high-performance centre in Ontario.
His Canadian swimmers include the top-four, 100-metre freestylers at the recent Olympic & Para-swimming Trials in Toronto. Breakout star Penny Oleksiak, 15, set a world junior and Canadian record of 53.31 seconds and will join double Pan Am gold medallist Chantal Van Landeghem, Sandrine Mainville and Michelle Williams as Canada's likely relay team. All four simmers are Olympic rookies.
Titley also guided national team member Audrey Lacroix, 32, who qualified for her third Games.
With Lacroix and Oleksiak under his watch, Titley can claim coaching credit for both the oldest and youngest members of the team.
Young Canadian contingent
Titley, 39, is a relatively young leader for a young Canadian team. Of the 27 swimmers on Canada's Olympic team, 20 will be competing for the first time.
"It's exciting but challenging," Titley said. "My role is to try to maximize the environment we have the athletes in and make sure everybody is confident going to Rio."
Titley and Swimming Canada have recruited team veterans Ryan Cochrane, a two-time Olympic medallist, and Martha McCabe as team captains to help navigate the team through Rio.
"We have an incredibly strong group of athletes, of all ages, competing in Rio this summer, and it's an honour to be recognized as a leader amongst such great people," said the 27-year-old Cochrane. "Hopefully my experience at the Games will allow me to help our newer athletes deal with the pressures an Olympics inevitably brings.
"I have the utmost confidence in every member of our team and I know we will all do well come August."
With files from Swimming Canada