Russian swimming star Yulia Efimova announced last November the creation of a new professional swimming squad called ‘Team Efimova.’ The team would initially be coached by her father, Andrey Efimov, with fellow Russian Nikita Lobinstev as a fellow team member. Three months after inception, the newly-formed squad is on the move, having arrived in Bali for a weeks-long training camp before heading to Australia.
In its trip down under, Team Efimova reportedly has two tasks on its agenda. The first is to compete at the NSW State Championships set to be held March 3rd – 5th. The second purpose of the trip is to scout out a potential Australian coaching candidate to take the reins of the outfit. According to state-run news agency TASS, Efimova, will “talk to a number of experts on the subject of cooperation.”
Swimming Australia recently announced that its Podium Centre Program will be reduced from 14 to now 9 High Performance Centers, potentially opening up a few more possibilities for Efimova. Athletes having served doping suspensions are prevented from training at the High Performance Centers, so with the reduction, 4 more potential training locations have now opened up to Team Efimova. Doping-plagued athletes are not outright barred from training within the borders of Australia, as evidenced by Chinese World Champion Ning Zetao and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Park Tae Hwan both having trained down under after having been found guilty of doping offenses in their careers.
TASS indicates that Team Efimova will not move forward until after the 2017 World Championships in Budapest. To make it to that point, the athletes will first compete at the Russian Championships in mid-April.
mm what about jack conger and his doping leaks?oh well its fine
I’m sure they will be tested enough that we can be sure no ped’s will be involved… I’m all for it!
Is it BYOD (bring your own drugs) or do you they provide for you on site? Asking for a friend
Hmmm didn’t Lobintsev also train at USC?
No visa implications? We just decide to come and train here, and visa is done? anybody with visa knowledge help here, my daughter wants to stay here and train!
Even with the consolidation of the high performance centres in Swimming Australia, it will mean that some of Australia’s best coaches are not available to Efimova. Not to mention no access to some of the better training facilities.
Efimova presumably won’t have to sign up for the Australian drug testing required by swimmers at high performance centres on top of the testing for FINA and WADA, if she trains at a non-high performance centre. That has been a source of concern for many Australian swimmers, who feel all international swimmers who train in Australia should be subject to those testing requirements, regardless of whether the training is taking place at a high performance centre or not. Australian swimmers do a… Read more »
Maybe it’s harder for the drug testers to find you in Australia.
Three strikes and you’re out, Yulia!
Wonder what Mack Horton would have to say about this.
He has been busy challenging his Driving through a red light charge . He contested the A sample ( b& w pics) & had to confess on the B sample ( coloured pics) .
Judge told him he had to learn more patience .