Training with an Olympic coach — it's used a lot in swimming camp marketing. But what does your child actually get from a week like that? And what exactly is an Olympic coach? This article takes an honest look at what it does and doesn't deliver for competitive swimmers.
What is an 'Olympic coach'?
The term is used too loosely. For us, someone only counts as an Olympic coach if they have done at least one of these three:
- Coached a swimmer at the Olympic Games
- Held a staff role with a national swimming team during the Olympic Games
- Worked a cumulative 10+ years with top international swimmers (national-championship medallists, European-Championship finalists or better)
Without one of these three, we call it an 'experienced competition coach' — which is also valuable, but not the same.
What does an Olympic coach do differently?
- Detail detection — in a few lengths they see what an ordinary coach might take 3 months to notice
- Periodisation — they think months ahead, not in individual sessions
- Competition calm — they have been through dozens of national and international competitions, and that brings a calm that rubs off on the swimmer
- International benchmark — they know what a 16-year-old in Australia, China or Hungary does at that age, and can put it realistically in context
What does your child concretely get out of a week?
- 1-2 technical points that have been concretely addressed, with video evidence and homework
- A new insight into race tactics for their favourite distance
- A sense of 'what the top looks like' — priceless for motivation
- A network: other ambitious swimmers of a similar level
What should you not expect?
- Not 'my child is 2 seconds faster after this week'. Time gains often only show up 6-10 weeks later.
- Not 'we'll train like this at home after this week too'. The club coach has their own approach, and you should respect it.
- Not 'my child now has a direct line to the national staff'. At most a valuable contact for the long term.
How do you check whether a coach is really Olympic?
- The coach's name
- Which Olympic Games they were involved in and in what role
- Which national teams they have worked with
- A LinkedIn/profile link to verify
A trustworthy provider answers this within a day. Vague answers = stay away.
Is this right for your child?
Training with Olympic coaches has the most effect when your child trains at least 4 times a week at a club, is open to feedback, and has a specific ambition such as hitting a national-championship qualifying time.
How can you experience it?
See our 2026 offer — our camps run as standard with coaches from the Olympic circuit. May half-term Italy: ZwemExpert Competitive Swimming Summer Camp 2026 . Summer camp Torremolinos: ZwemExpert Competitive Swimming Summer Camp 2026 . Questions about the coaching staff? Get in touch.