Swimming coaches have sometimes organised into Coaches Associations, where their names would be recorded. Unfortunately little evidence remains of these coaches associations, and the names and biographies of most coaches are unknown today. Below are links to a few swimming coaches:
Over the years a number of famous coaches have visited South Africa, like Americans John Harte (1937), Bob Kiphuth, Doc Councilman and Don Gambril (1960).
The coaches listed here are of no particular colour or nationality. Very little is known about the coaches in the non-white communities. The Pisces SC in Durban named Eddie Meth be the first black coach with a swimmer winning a gold medal at National Championship level.
Coach Frank Gray - with his son Simon Gray
Many coaches follow their parents into the job - like Graham Hill and his mother Doreen (below). Other families that coach include Olympic Dean Price and his American mother Janet; Frank Gray and sons Simon; David and Nicky; Peter Elliot and Brian from Port Elizabeth; Britons Frank and Lillian Parrington in Rhodesia, and their son David, USA Olympic diving coach; Doug Skinner and USA Olympic swimming coach Jonty Skinner. There are many more families who have continued the tradition - if readers can provide details, their names will be added here.
Read the stories of some leading South African swimming coaches.
Roland Schoeman, of Northern Tigers, who is based at the University of Arizona, smashed the South African 100m butterfly record with ease on Monday night.
He clocked an Africa record 52.73sec competing in the semifinals at the South African championships at King's Park pool in Durban.
The championships double as the Olympic trials.
His Arizona team-mate, former Free State champion Ryk Neethling now swimming in the colours of KwaZulu-Natal, smashed the 200m freestyle record, recording a world-class 1.47.37 and dragging Pietermaritzburg's rising teenager Darian Townsend to an Olympic qualifier in the semifinals. Local lad Townsend recorded an outstanding 1.49.57, which should see that he goes to Athens in August.
"I was very happy with that," said Neethling after winning the final from Swiss Dominique Meichtry (1.49.21) and Townsend (1.50.07).
"I was hoping for a 1.46, but it was a good enough time considering that I had to work by myself up front all the way. I swim a lot stronger when I'm pushed by my opposition."
There was plenty of satisfaction for several of the home province's coaches as Wayne Riddin, Graham Hill, Alisdair Hatfield, Frank Gray and Margaret Martin all saw some of their charges making it to the medal podium over the opening three days.
Riddin saw 14-year-old Tanya Strydom snatch bronze in the 50m freestyle, an effort which will probably see her as the youngest medallist of the week - the championships continue until Wednesday evening - and has been Townsend's coach for many years.
Hill was able to share some of Riddin's glory, having monitored the progress of the former Maritzburg College star since the start of the year.
Hill, the Mr Price Seagulls coach, also had the satisfaction of taking a 1-2 in the 200m backstroke for women, with Melissa Corfe recording a 2.14.00, just a fraction of a second off the Olympic qualifying time, while Romina Armellini - swimming in the colours of Cental Gauteng - took the silver medal in the same event. Terence Parkin grabbed silver in the 100m breaststroke.
Martin's young 100m breaststroker, Ronwyn Roper, pulled out all the stops to grab the bronze, a feat matched by Hatfield's Jeff Norton in the 200m backstroke and Neil Versveld in the 100m breaststroke.
Gray saw young distance specialist Troyden Prinsloo taking silver in the 400m freestyle.
The coaches listed here are of no particular colour or nationality. Very little is known about the coaches in the non-white communities. The Pisces SC in Durban named Eddie Meth be the first black coach with a swimmer winning a gold medal at National Championship level.
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Dean Price Johannesburg |
Heinz Dittrich Cape Town |
Craig Jackson Johannesburg |
Pierre de Roubaix Stellenbosch |
Peter Williams Johannesburg |
Igor Olmentschenko Pretoria |
Coaches |
Club/Town |
Springboks/SA Champions |
Albertyn, Wendy | ||
Aurik, Clara | Cape Town | Karen v Helden, Aletta Vos, Letchen Walden, Carl Loubscher |
Bailes, Murray | ||
Ball, Steven | ||
BC van Wyk | Kroonstad | Herman Nienaber, Hannelie Vermeulen |
Belfort, Julia | Seagulls/Durban | |
Blair, John | ||
Blignaut, Louise | ||
Borril, Ronnie | ||
Bonney, Susan | ||
Bosch, Susanna | ||
Bulley, Alex | Durban | Murray (Tich) McLachlan - and many others, as the official SAASU coach |
Bouws, Niels | Cape Town | |
Campbell, Bob | Pretoria | Brian Stewart, Katinka Germishuis, Karen Muir (two years of her career), Nico v.d Merwe, Harold Pearce, Gerard Braak, Pieter van Niekerk |
Campher, Marius | ||
Champion, Adrienne | ||
Connell, Tom | PE Amateur, Port Elizabeth | Kobus Scheepers, Andre Kotze, Mark Edge (life saving), Mandy Buchner(triathelon), Peter Williams(WR 50m Freestyle) |
Colwin, Cecil | Port Elizabeth/Johannesburg/Canada |
Ann Fairlie, Susan Roberts, Moira Abernethy, |
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Paul Napier-Jamieson Johannesburg |
Andrew Gray East London |
Mark Edge Port Elizabeth |
Andrew Dean Port Elizabeth |
Simon Gray Bloemfontein |
Libby Burrell Stellenbosch |
Coeser, Brett |
Penguins/Pietermaritzburg | |
De Jager, Linda | ||
Dean, Andrew | Port Elizabeth | |
des Fontaine, Annamaria | Klerksdorp | |
Dorey, Adrian | ||
Durrant, Thomas | ||
Eagar, Douglas | Bloemfontein | |
Edge, Mark | ||
Elliot, Peter | Barracuda, Port Elizabeth | Brian Elliot, Geoff Grylls, Jon Reen |
Elliot, Brian | Aquabear, Port Eizabeth | |
Erasmus, Pieter Snr | ||
Frankel, Tom | Cape Town | Annette Cowley, Robert Manners-Wood, Tom Fraenkel, Gavin Bromley, Philip Van Niekerk, Karen Bromley |
Fruenstein, R | Rhodesia | |
George, Arthur | Rhodesia/Zimbabwe | |
Graham, Brian | Harlequins/East London | |
Gray, Andrew | ||
Gray, Frank | Durban | Karen Muir, David, Simon, Andrew and Nickie Gray, Paul Blackbeard, Tricia Butcher, many more.. |
Gray, Simon | ||
Green, Bernard | ||
Green, Jimmy | Jenny Maakal | |
Gibbon, Syd |
Grobler, Christian | ||
Hadley, Anthony | ||
Harris, Bronwyn | ||
Hatfield, Alisdair | Durban | |
Hawarden, Richard | ||
Hill, Doreen | Westville, Durban | |
Hill, Graham | Westville, Durban | |
Hulley, Eugene | Durban, California | |
Jackson, Craig | ||
Jacobson, George | Wanderers | Erwin Kratz |
Jolliffe-Cathro, Sheralee | ||
Jonker, Cees | SWA/Namibia | |
Katabi, Zvi | Johannesburg![]() |
Loren Rozowsky, Mickie Kritzinger |
Keighley, Kari | ||
Kennedy, JJ | Eastern Transvaal | |
Kleynhans, Ebert | ||
Koatla, Tseliso | ||
Kooiman, Jan | Roy Abromowitz | |
Kuiper, Owen | Pretoria | |
Kukard, Vivienne | ||
Kumm, Norma | ||
La Grange, Hester | ||
Laattoe, Bayar | ||
Lamont, Bill | Johannesburg | |
Lamont, Moira | Johannesburg | Anne Lamont |
Laursen, Larry | SWA/Namibia![]() |
Dorothea Neumeister |
Lawrence, Anthony | ||
Louw, Kobie | Kroonstad | Jannie Horn, Pietie Horn, Esme Oosthuizen, Sharon Poole, Frank Myburgh, Didi van der Walt, Gina van der Merwe |
Martin, Margaret | ||
Marx, Sue-Ann | ||
Matthews, Helen | ||
McDuling, D | SWA | |
McGee, Deborah | ||
Muller, David | ||
Napier-Jameson, Paul | ![]() |
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Nortje, Jean | ||
Nortje, Petro | Durban | |
Parrington, Frank | Rhodesia/Zimbabwe | ![]() |
Pierce, Les | Pietermaritzburg | |
Phillips, Neville | ||
Pike, Carolyn | ||
Postma, Laura | ||
Price, Dean | Johannesburg | ![]() |
Price, Gregg | Johannesburg | |
Price, Janet | Johannesburg | |
Pulker, Maureen | ||
Richards, Kevin | Port Elizabeth | |
Rippe, Rudi | ||
Quinlan, Penny | ||
Roets, Aletta | ||
de Roubaix, Pierre | ||
Rousseau, Hendrina | ||
Shone, Lynette | ||
Skinner, Doug | Penguins, East London | Jonty Skinner, Jennie Hardwich, Gregg Carswell |
Skinner, Vionne | ||
Slack, Hilton | ||
Spamer, Emmarentia | ||
Spoor, Rudie | ||
Steward, B | Bloemfontein | |
Stockton, Lynne | ||
Sturges, Wendy | ||
Swart, Christa | ||
Symonds, Genevieve | ||
Theron, Catharina | ||
Top, Folkert | ||
Treu, Wendy | ||
van der Walt, Gerhard | ||
Van Greuning, Karel | ||
Van Jaarsveld, Santa | Bloemfontein, Stellenbosch![]() |
Jannie Horn, Pietie Horn, Charle Meyer,Thabo Stegman, Martie Pepler, Dougie Eager,Charl Venter, Jeanine Steenkamp, Amanda Markgraaf, Lizelle Markgraaf, Alice Escreet |
Van Meyeren, Norma | ||
Van Wyk, Juliane | ||
Vd Westhuizen, Ingrid | ||
Veldman, Samuel | ||
Venter, Elizabeth | ||
Verster, Theophilus | ||
Vides, Davis | East London | |
von Törös, Karoly | Cape Town | |
von Sullichem, Tony | ||
Voigt, Almarie | ||
Wagner, Billy | ||
Way, Wendy | Cape Town | |
Williams, Gonasagaran | ||
Williams, Peter | Johannesburg |
<td "> <td "><td "><td ">Nick FolkerJohannesburg<td ">Adrian DoreyJohannesburg<td ">Michelle Vlasakova Centurion
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Lynette Wessels Bloemfontein |
Dougie Eager Bloemfontein |
Wendy Albertyn Centurion |
Grobler, Christian | ||
Gulliver, Terry | Durban |
Paula Newby-Fraser, Jaques Marais, Graham Perleman, Kevin Robertson, Gary Robertson, Peter le Roux, Paul Blackbeard, Gay Harker, John Harker, Bruce Butler, Anne Edwards, Mike Gittings, Veronica Gittings |
Hadley, Anthony | ||
Harris, Bronwyn | ||
Hatfield, Alisdair | Durban | |
Hawarden, Richard | ||
Hill, Doreen | Westville, Durban | Graham Hill |
Hill, Graham | Westville, Durban | Chad le Clos |
Horn, Francis | Port Elizabeth | |
Jackson, Craig | ||
Jacobson, George | Wanderers, Johannesburg | Erwin Kratz; |
Jolliffe-Cathro, Sheralee | ||
Jonker, Cees | SWA/Namibia | |
Katabi, Zvi | Johannesburg | Loren Rozowsky, Mickie Kritzinger |
Keighley, Kari | ||
Kennedy, JJ | Eastern Transvaal | |
Kleynhans, Ebert | ||
Koatla, Tseliso | ||
Kooiman, Jan | Penguins/Pietermaritzburg | Roy Abromowitz |
Kuiper, Owen | Pretoria | |
Kukard, Vivienne | ||
Kumm, Norma |
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George Jacobson Johannesburg |
Peter Elliot Port Elizabeth |
Cecil Colwin Port Elizabeth |
Frank Parrington Harare |
Lillian Parrington Harare |
Doug Skinner East London |
La Grange, Hester | ||
Laattoe, Bayar | ||
Lamont, Bill | Johannesburg | |
Lamont, Moira | Johannesburg | Anne Lamont |
Laursen, Larry | SWA/Namibia | Dorothea Neumeister |
Lawrence, Anthony | ||
Louw, Kobie | Kroonstad | Jannie Horn, Pietie Horn, Esme Oosthuizen, Sharon Poole, Frank Myburgh, Didi van der Walt, Gina van der Merwe |
Martin, Margaret | ||
Marx, Sue-Ann | ||
Matthews, Helen | ||
McDuling, D | SWA | |
McGee, Deborah | ||
Muller, David | ||
Napier-Jameson, Paul | ||
Nortje, Jean | ||
Barbara Nicholson | Cape Town | |
Nortje, Petro | Durban | |
Parrington, Frank | Rhodesia/Zimbabwe | |
Pierce, Les | Pietermaritzburg | |
Phillips, Neville | ||
Pike, Carolyn |
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Tom Fraenkel Cape Town |
Santa van Jaarsveld Bloemfontein |
Brian Elliot Port Elizabeth |
Tom Connell Port Elizabeth |
Bernard Green Johannesburg |
Clara Aurik Cape Town |
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Postma, Laura | ||
Price, Dean | Johannesburg | |
Price, Gregg | Johannesburg | |
Price, Janet | Johannesburg | |
Pulker, Maureen | ||
Richards, Kevin | Port Elizabeth | |
Rippe, Rudi | ||
Quinlan, Penny | ||
Roets, Aletta | ||
de Roubaix, Pierre | Stellenbosch University | |
Rousseau, Hendrina | ||
Rose Saltman | Union SC/ Cape town | Gerald Saltman |
Shone, Lynette | ||
Shuttleworth, Tony | Penguins/Pietermaritzburg | |
Skinner, Doug | Penguins/East London | Jonty Skinner, Jennie Hardwich, Gregg Carswell |
Skinner, Jonty | ||
Skinner, Vionne | Harlequins/East london | |
Slack, Hilton | ||
Spamer, Emmarentia | ||
Sping, Jim | Durban | |
Spoor, Rudie | ||
Steward, B | Bloemfontein | |
Stockton, Lynne |
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Zvi Katabi Johannesburg |
Kobie Louw Vaal Driehoek |
Moira Lamont Johannesburg |
Bob Campbell Pretoria |
Alasdair Hatfield Durban |
Frank Gray Durban |
David Vides East London |
Sturges, Wendy | ||
Swart, Christa | ||
Symonds, Genevieve | ||
Theron, Catharina | ||
Top, Folkert | Cape Town | |
Treu, Wendy | ||
van der Walt, Gerhard | PAC/Pretoria | |
Van Greuning, Karel | ||
Van Jaarsveld, Santa | Bloemfontein, Stellenbosch | Jannie Horn, Pietie Horn, Charle Meyer,Thabo Stegman, Martie Pepler, Dougie Eager,Charl Venter, Jeanine Steenkamp, Amanda Markgraaf, Lizelle Markgraaf, Alice Escreet |
Van Meyeren, Norma | ||
Van Wyk, Juliane | ||
Vd Westhuizen, Ingrid | ||
Veldman, Samuel | ||
Venter, Elizabeth | ||
Verster, Theophilus | ||
Vides, David | East London | |
Törös, Karoly | Cape Town | |
von Sullichem, Tony | ||
Voigt, Almarie | ||
Wagner, Billy | ||
Way, Wendy | Cape Town | |
Williams, Gonasagaran | ||
Williams, Peter | Johannesburg | |
Wheeler, Mandy | Penguins, Pietermaritzburg | |
Wessels, Lynette | Otters/Bloemfontein | |
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Jimmy Green Pretoria |
Alex Bulley Durban |
Francis Horn Port Elizabeth |
Rachael Finlayson Durban |
Ernest de Jong Pretoria |
A number of foreign coaches have visited
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Bob Kiphuth 1960 |
Doc James Councilman 1976 |
Don Gambril 1965 |
Ada Kok 1969 |
Amanda Norrish 1976 |
Niels Bouws 1974 |
Deryk Snelling 1977 |
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Vineyard SC in Cape Town, with coach Karoly Von Törös, Lana Pemontesi, Claire Williams, Jon Hugo, Jenna Manwaring, Kishan Kalan, Ian Clutten, Natalie Burke, Kim Bonney, Rudolf Wagenaar, Jade Antunes, Jean Smyth, Natalie du Toit, Brendan Lagardien, Corney Swanepoel, Sarah Poewe, Chris Kotze, Ziada Jardine, Scott Field, Marizanne Grundlingh, Roscoe Kent Minnaar, Angus Macdonald, Ingrid Haiden, Emile Patrice King |