Venezuelan butterflier Albert Subirats has bounced around from club-to-club since graduating from the University of Arizona in 2007, including stops with the mighty team in Marseilles, France and 2010 USA-Swimming National Champions Tucson Ford Dealer Aquatics. He experienced his first true extra-collegiate success last year, however, after spending time back home in Venezuela working with Luis Moreno: his former Age Group coach who now heads the Venezuelan National Team. That time back at home led to his first major international gold medal, in the 50 fly, as well as a 100 fly silver in Dubai.
But that doesn’t mean that he has settled down in his new (old) abode of Valencia. Subirats is instead on the move again and returning back to his old stomping grounds in Tucson to train with Frank Busch et al. in the leadup to the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai. During his last stop in the desert, Subirats claimed three NCAA Championships: 2 in the 200 fly, and 1 in the 100 back. Subirats is expected to focus on the two sprint butterfly events at the long course championships, though he does still occasionally dabble in sprint freestyle and backstroke events. The first chance to see him compete stateside is expected to be at the Indianapolis Grand Prix the first weekend in March, followed by the Charlotte and Santa Clara stops. In Santa Clara, he will be accompanied by the rest of his Venezuelan teammates.
Moreno is still actively involved in Subrats’ training, and says that he really has his line-of-sight focused beyond Shanghai at London 2012.