Congratulations new Olympic coaches!!! It’s official now… five athletes from three countries made Olympic teams this year whose preparation was heavily influenced by the 3S system. Two of them, Christine Magnusson and Cullen Jones, won their right to represent the US in probably the toughest competition ever, considering the depth and amount of talent displayed at this year’s Olympic trials in Omaha.

Among the coaches who relied on 3S to help prepare their athletes for competition was Coach Matt Kredich, who was the very first coach to have seen the potential of our program, and how it could help him to become a better coach. That was in 2002, when he was a fresh head coach at the University of Richmond. But this week he became the coach of an Olympian when athlete Christine Magnuson won her Olympic Trials in a tough contest over 2004 Olympic medalist Rachel Komisarz and Stanford’s Elaine Breedon in the 100 m butterfly. (read the full story)

Another Olympian coach, Brooks Teal  (head coach of North Carolina State University), took his first serious look at 3S when he realized that he had a real talent on his team several years ago… Cullen Jones. I can only imagine how unnerving it must have been for him to trust a “once in a career opportunity” to 3S. We were nervous as well, but also confident that we could help. (read the full story)

Altogether so far 3S has helped four swim coaches prepare their Olympians for the upcoming Games in Beijing. In addition to Matt Kredich and Brooks Teal, Jim Richardson (University of Michigan), another one of our core coaches, secured a place for recent graduate Valeria Silva (Lima, Peru). And Ricardo Marmolejo, our close friend and supporter from Mexico (himself a 1972 Olympian and now a coach at the Casablanca Swimming Club, Mexico), will accompany his daughter, Adriana Marmolejo, to her first Olympics this year.

This has been an incredible season for 3S coaches. Every one of you deserves congratulations, but we just wanted all of you to join us in applauding and wishing the very best to our colleagues in Beijing. There is no higher professional accomplishment for a coach in the world of sports. Congratulations, coaches!

Sergei Beliaev