After serving as the interim head coach since March, Ryan Mallette is now the full-time Head Coach of Canada’s High Performance Centre – Ontario.
In an announcement made from the Canadian team’s staging camp for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Caen, France, Swimming Canada revealed that Mallette would be elevated to the role of Performance Head Coach after more than three years at HPC – Ontario.
The 42-year-old joined the centre as an associate head coach in 2019 after previously serving as the head coach of the High Performance Centre in Victoria, British Columbia.
Ryan Mallette named Performance Head Coach of HPC-Ontariohttps://t.co/B6bFijTGJm
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Ryan Mallette est nommé entraineur-chef du CHP-Ontariohttps://t.co/ZnDo7XHZHI pic.twitter.com/t4dJKHciCr— Swimming Canada / Natation Canada (@SwimmingCanada) July 22, 2022
Mallette was then named interim head coach at HPC – Ontario earlier this year after then-head coach Ben Titley left the program after his contract wasn’t renewed.
“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to be the Head Coach of the High Performance Centre – Ontario,” Mallette said, according to Swimming Canada.
“HPC-Ontario has been one of the best swimming programs in the world for the last several years – if not the best. I’m looking forward to helping carry that forward into Paris 2024.”
The vast majority of Canada’s top swimmers currently train out of HPC – Ontario, which is based at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre—the host of the 2015 Pan Am Games and the typical location of the Canadian Olympic and World Championship Trials meets.
HPC – Ontario swimmers won all of Canada’s medals at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest last month, headlined by breakout star Summer McIntosh and veteran Kylie Masse, who both won individual world titles.
Other World Championship medalists that currently train out of HPC – Ontario under Mallette include Penny Oleksiak and Josh Liendo, while names such as Maggie MacNeil, Kayla Sanchez, Yuri Kisil, Taylor Ruck, Rebecca Smith, Sydney Pickrem and Finlay Knox have also spent time at the centre.
Sanchez has notably trained out of HPC – Ontario for the last six years but has recently been released by Swimming Canada to pursue representing the Philippines internationally.
“We are delighted to have Ryan move into this role. Swimming Canada conducted an international search for coaching talent at our two High Performance Centres, and ultimately found the best candidate at home,” said High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson.
“Ryan has proven he is a world-class leader with a track record of success. His drive and dedication has created an environment that allows our athletes to achieve results at the highest level.”
In his role, Mallette will oversee a world-class daily training environment for Canadian athletes with the ultimate goal of winning medals at the Olympic and World Championship level.
“HPC-Ontario has first-class staff, led by Johnny Fuller, who I work really well with,” Mallette said. “Our integrated support team is among the best in the world and I think we have a team that’s capable of taking any Canadian athlete to the next level.
A native of Montreal, Mallette was on Canada’s Olympic staff in Tokyo, and is a member of the national team preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Games that kick off on July 29 in Birmingham, England.
“The High Performance Centre – Ontario will be a key part of our national program strategy toward the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” Atkinson added. “We are looking forward to the coming years, but right now the focus is on Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.”
In addition to the names already mentioned, the current HPC – Ontario roster includes Olympian and former Georgia Bulldog Javier Acevedo and rising stars Elan Daley, Ashley McMillan and Regan Rathwell.
Congratulations Ryan! So well deserved!