The All-Russian Swimming Federation (WWF) has recommended Sergei Kolmogorov to the post of National Team Swimming head coach. The recommendation will be passed for a rubber-stamp from the Russian Sports Ministry, and Kolmomgorov will retain the title that he’s held for the last year after which he was appointed on an urgent basis in late 2015.
Kolmogorov was one of 3 who formally applied for the job, beating out Sergek Zilkihn and Alexander Klokov. The WWF has also recommended that Zilkihn be appointed as senior coach for the National Team.
Kolmogorov was appointed to the position after a failed home World Championships for the Russian team in Kazan. That meet saw Russia win only 4 pool medals, with only 1 of them being gold.
One year later, at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Russia again wound up with 4 medals – but this time there were no gold medals. The performance was stunted by the uncertainty with athletes being barred and readmitted from the Olympics multiple times within days, and even hours, of the start of competition.
Zilkihn, meanwhile, is best known on the para side of the sport, where he’s coached among others Olseya Vladykina and has served as a member of the IPC Swimming Technical Committee.
The two were chosen over Alexander Klokov, who has served in two prior terms of this National Team, including once as the head coach of Russia, and once as the head coach of the Soviet and CIS National Teams.