Swim coach Dave Denniston has tendered a resignation from his post as the United States Olympic Training Center resident coach for U.S. Paralympic Swimming.
Members of the Paralympic national team system were notified via email on Monday afternoon, ensuring that the team’s upcoming World Championship and Pan Am trips would not be disrupted, and Denniston followed up later in the day on his Facebook page.
In the note (in its entirety below), Denniston says that the decision was a mixture of personal and political issues, but declined to get into further detail about specifics.
While at Auburn, Denniston was a three-time individual champion and 15-time All-American. In 2005, he was injured in a sledding accident, and he went on to qualify for the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games.
Among the swimmers who train in Colorado Springs as part of the resident team program are Martha Reuther, Ryan Duemler, and Sophie Herzog, who all made either the Pan Ams team or the Worlds team this summer, as did the majority of Denniston’s squad.
The U.S. Paralympic Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The full text of Denniston’s resignation post is below.
“As some of you may have heard, I have decided to step down from my role as resident coach for U.S. Paralympic Swimming. I spent a lot of time discussing this with my family and close friends, and in the end I have decided it is the right thing for me to do right now.
My reasons are a complex mixture of both personal and political issues, but were not due to any one person or event. Because of the importance of friendships and professional relationships to me, I am not going to share my details behind my reasoning at this time.
I kindly ask that you trust my reasoning. I firmly ask, that those of you who may have developed an interest in the Paralympics through me, would continue to support all of the athletes any way that you can. I know, without a doubt, that they really are the most amazing people on the planet!”
I like you very much Dave. This is Regina Brittingham. I am from Chico,Ca but swam in the Paraolympics at Santa Clara. Todd Pickett introduced us. His son is Zachary who swims Paraolympics. I was a world class swimmer in masters but I don’t even qualify for nationals in Paraolympics. I think their classifications are off. I just swam at the Masters Nationals in Oregon and I placed in all 5 events. You were doing a great job in Paraolympics but you can’t do it by yourself. Keep up the good work whatever you do.
Regina Brittingham
[email protected]
It doesn’t surprise me. For someone as special as Dave to resign is a testimony to the sticky politics that roam through the training center. This includes the classification process. I was recently classified. Totally flawed. All politics. There wasn’t even a classifier with swimming experience as the rule book clearly explains that one should be present during the in pool evaluation part of classification. Which made me wonder how they were to identify my true limitations in the water. I wish I could take Dave out to dinner and get the full story. But if you read between the swim lanes….common sence tells me everything. I love swimming. With all my heart. But I am getting bad taste in… Read more »
It is with sadness to hear of Coach Dennistons decision to leave his post with US Paralympic Swimming. He will be truly missed and I wish him much happiness and success in the future.
Glennis Mossey
Canada
That is a shame and is truly a loss for USA Swimming. David’s light will shine brightly in the next chapter of his career. I can’t wait to hear of the future wonderful things he does. Because he sure will!