Call it a Bull Sharks takeover.
Bond University will send a record 16 swimmers and two coaches to next month’s World Swimming Championships in Singapore — the largest international representation in the program's history.
A program-record four student-athletes – Hancock Prospecting Swimming Excellence Scholarship recipients Flynn Southam, Jesse Coleman, Milla Jansen and Hannah Casey and coach Chris Mooney have made the Dolphins squad for Singapore.
Another ten international athletes, who live and train at Bond on World Aquatics Scholarships, will compete for their home countries. Bond’s Director of Swimming Kyle Samuelson has been appointed by World Aquatics to accompany these athletes as coach. This squad includes Bond students Marina Abu Shamaleh and Paris Olympian Lani Connolly.
Fellow Bondies Elijah Winnington and Max Giuliani, who study at Bond on the Hancock Prospecting Swimming Excellence Scholarship, have also made the Dolphins squad.
Samuelson said the stunning results at trials and the steady improvement from the World Aquatics swimmers were the result of years careful planning and a united coaching vision.
“We have experienced coaches and I think we have a really consistent coaching group that doesn’t change that often,” he said.
“Trusting the program on the athlete’s side is huge as well.
“Chris Mooney has put seven rookies onto Dolphins squads in the time he has been here at Bond which is amazing.
“I don’t think any program in Australia could boast that.’’
Samuelson also said while the introduction of the World Aquatics program at Bond had been a win for the international athletes who have consistently lowered their personal best times over the past two years- it has also had an impact on the Bull Sharks’ athletes.
“They get access to facilities and the attention to detail in their coaching they don’t have access to in their home countries,” he said.
“But it is really good for us as well.
“Being able to train with swimmers from other counties and learning about them, hearing about their backgrounds, what they have had to go through to get here or how they used to train in their home counties has taught us a lot.
It has opened our eyes and also our swimmers’ eyes to how much effort goes they put into their swimming and their desire to get better.’’