Canada Artistic Swimming (CAS) is thrilled to announce the selection of Gábor Szauder as its Senior National Team Head Coach.
Hailing from Budapest, Hungary, Szauder earned a Diploma from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Semmelweis University and also holds certification as a Master Coach in Synchronized Swimming. He has had leading roles in the international synchronized/artistic swimming circle since 1993.
Szauder has previously coached top-level athletes in three countries – Greece, Hungary and most recently Slovakia. He has coached at two different Olympic Games, always working closely with a team of experienced professionals.
Reporting to the Chief Sport Officer (CSO), Szauder will be responsible for the leadership and management of Canada Artistic Swimming’s centralized senior team enroute to the 2019 FINA World Championships and Pan American Games in Lima, Peru – the 2020 Olympic Qualifying event for Team Canada. He will continue Canada Artistic Swimming’s path of implementing appropriate sport science, sport medicine and innovation support around its targeted athletes through the Tokyo Games.
According to Szauder, “today’s Artistic Swimming training must be based on the input of a strong team of expert coaches, choreographers, medical staff (especially focused on regeneration and the prevention and treatment of injuries) as well as nutrition specialists.” He added, “conditions for training must use the best combination of today’s methods of practice and science, knowledge and experience.” Once the foundation of optimal training is laid, Szauder believes the key next step for CAS to begin its climb toward the Olympic podium in 2024 is to re-establish the unique choreographic style for which Canada has been recognized.
Szauder says: “Canada has a rich history of success and I believe that with the right support and close cooperation with the best Canadian coaches, we can return Canada to a position where it is competing for medals at the world’s major competitions.”
CAS Chief Sport Officer Julie Healy welcomes the diversity and sport science background that Szauder brings to the position. “Gabor will add a new dynamic to our Senior National Team, by both his experience from Europe and through his collaborative approach to selecting the support team we are building around our Olympic athletes. We look forward to working together to build an even stronger National Team program and achieving the performance results we seek in this quad and the next.”
Szauder will commence full-time operations at INS-Québec in Montreal in early January.