Wednesday, 6 August 2025

Ireland swim team in Kuching for final prep ahead of world meet

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Szaranek (2nd left) with his coaching staff during their training camp in Kuching.

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KUCHING: Ireland’s national swimming team is in Sarawak for a high-performance training camp ahead of the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore.

Head coach John Szaranek said preparations have gone well, praising the world-class facilities at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre and the warm local reception.

“We’ve been delighted with how we’ve been received here.

“The camp has gone very well for us so far. We’ve enjoyed the facility — it’s fantastic.

“The swimmers have thoroughly enjoyed it, and our preparation has gone well,” said Szaranek in an interview with Sarawak Tribune today (July 22).

The squad, made up of around 20 members including athletes, coaches, and support staff, arrived nine days early to adapt to the time zone. One swimmer flew directly to Singapore, while the rest continued training in Kuching.

Szaranek noted that the biggest challenge so far has been adjusting to the time zone difference.

“We came in nine days early because of the significant time difference from Ireland, just to allow our body clocks to adapt,” he explained.

To ease the transition, swimmers were provided with detailed pre-travel guidance on sleep, behaviour, and rest strategies — particularly important given the long journey involving three connecting flights.

“The guys have adapted well. They were given a lot of information about their travel strategy, their sleep strategy during the flights, and how to behave once they arrived. They seem to be in good spirits.”

The camp also featured a shared session with Malaysian athletes.

“The first time we effectively shared the pool with local athletes was today, and it was such good fun.

“We had one or two races, everyone seemed to enjoy it. That was excellent,” Szaranek said.

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