By David

That’s right. The Miskimmin 2012 coup d’état at Swimming New Zealand saw the introduction of several novel innovations; the autocratic form of government favoured by Sport New Zealand replaced a century of Regional democracy, a management team of foreign imports assumed power and money became no problem at all.

Miskimmin invested a huge amount of personal capital to acquire control of swimming. The sport had to be successful. If it wasn’t Miskimmin would look stupid. Swimming was his baby. Success or failure was down to him alone. And so, what did he do? He did what he does best. He threw money at the problem. Sports that fail at three or four Olympics in a row are normally cast adrift. But not swimming.

Swimming had a World Championship coming up and Miskimmin’s men were on a mission to buy success. A tax payer’s grant of $1.4 million, plus PEG’s payments of $300k were approved. Surely, Miskimmin must have thought, $1.7 million should be enough to buy success. His Swimwatch critics were about to see the power of the government’s money; were about to experience the rewards of sport’s management, Miskimmin style.

And did Miskimmin’s minions spend? Did they ever? Like drunken sailors they worked their way through Miskimmin’s $1.4 million grant. On a per-swimmer basis this team will be the world’s most expensive. It has cost New Zealand $1.7 million to send fourteen swimmers to the 2013 World Championships. That’s a stunning $121,000 per swimmer. The world’s richest economy, the United States of America won’t spend half that amount. The fourteen swimmers will compete in about 30 races. Each race; each time a New Zealand swimmer dives into the Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi Pool, the cost of preparing for that dive will have been $56,600. The average annual wage in New Zealand is $57,158. The opulence; the extravagance of this exercise has been stunning.

But Miskimmin is aware his reputation, his decision making, his credibility is on the line. Money is of little importance when the CEO of Sport New Zealand has pride and position at stake.

In addition to the normal cost of running the Wellington Centre and the Millennium Institute, the 2013 World Championship swim team wanted for nothing. Here are a few of the add-ons.

1. Bill Sweetenham was flown in from Australia to coach half a dozen Millenium swimmers. I have no idea what that exercise cost but Bill never comes cheap. For three months coaching, an all-up cost of $150,000 would not surprise.
2. Lauren Boyle and Gareth Kean were sent to a Spanish High Altitude Camp for two week; were flown back to New Zealand for a month and then back to Spain for more camps and finally the Championships.
3. David Lyles was flown from China to New Zealand twice. Once to inspect the Millennium Institute and then to begin coaching.
4. The team’s pre-game’s preparation in Europe has wanted for nothing – Mare Nostrum competition, double return flights to New Zealand, high altitude camps in the Sierra Mountains and sea level training in the Catalan sun. It did seem to be a case of – if it might help get it, if it might work do it.

There is every reason to expect stellar results from this team. New Zealand has provided generous funding. Swimming New Zealand has spent it, without restriction. We have been told Miskimmin and his selected foreign imports know what’s best for swimming; can do it better than independent club coaches. Well, Swimming New Zealand has had the money and free rein to do it their way. If Miskimmin is right only a bounteous haul of medals will suffice. Nothing less will do.

But what does a bounteous haul of medals mean. Well this is the first year after an Olympic Games. World Championships held at this time are always less competitive. Many great swimmers have retired (Phelps, Veldhuis and Adlington) and others are having a quiet year (Schmitt and Soni) gathering their resources before pushing on to the next Games in Rio.

Lauren Boyle has been especially fortunate. The retirement of Rebecca Adlington and Allison Schmitt’s quiet post-Olympic year means two of those ahead of her in London will not be in Barcelona. What that means is that just to maintain her London position Lauren Boyle needs to return with at least a silver medal. Progress requires a win. A return on Miskimmin’s investment requires a gold medal from Lauren Boyle. That is the minimum.

Glenn Snyders was 20^th and 16^th in the London Olympic Games. However the World Championships include Snyders’ favourite 50 meter breaststroke event. To repeat his London performance Snyders will need to make a final in Barcelona. For Miskimmin to claim his plan for the sport works, Snyders will need to return to Los Angeles with a medal.

Matthew Stanley was 15^th and 18^th in London. He will benefit as much a Boyle from post-Olympic retirements. To just stay where he was in London, Stanley will need to make a final in Barcelona. Only a medal will show a return on Miskimmin’s million.

Gareth Kean was 29^th and 13^th in London. He too will need a medal in Barcelona to demonstrate that the decision to form a Swimming New Zealand training club in Wellington and the investment in round the world trips to Spanish high altitude camps was justified. Anything less and Miskimmin’s money will have only bought the status quo.

Progress will also require Kane Radford and Cara Baker to medal in their open water swims.

If the others on this team, that’s Sophia Batchelor, Shaun Burnett, Nathan Capp, Mitchell Donaldson, Samantha Lee, Samantha Lucie-Smith, Emma Robinson and Phillip Ryan are going to perform to a level that justifies Miskimmin’s policies and our investment of $56,600 per dive, $121,000 per swimmer they will all need to make a final; they will all need to be in the top eight in Barcelona.

Anything less than a gold medal, five other medals and eight finalists at this World Championships will not be a failure by the athletes involved. This has never been about their application or effort. Anything less will be a failure by Miskimmin and those at Swimming New Zealand charged with implementing the policies of Sport New Zealand. Any team result in Barcelona that falls short of these results and Swimming New Zealand will have wasted another $1.7 million of your money and mine. And for that Miskimmin, Renford, Villanueva, Layton and Lyles should be held responsible. And because we warned them their policies were flawed they should be asked to leave, sacked without notice.