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SINGAPORE: When swim star Tao Li returned from the Beijing Olympics on Aug 18 as Asia’s fastest woman in the 100m butterfly, she feared that she could lose her coach, Peter Churchill.
But Today has learnt that the Singapore Sports School is keen on keeping their partnership going.
Churchill is currently head coach at the Sports School’s swimming academy and his annual contract expires on Dec 31.
“We’re definitely interested in having Tao Li continue with Peter, and we’re working out the details of his contract,” said Sports School principal Deborah Tan yesterday.
During the Olympics, Churchill received coaching offers from Europe and Australia.
While the 33-year-old said upon returning from Beijing that he wants to continue coaching here, he stressed that he also has to look after his family’s interests.
The Australian coach, who is currently on holiday in his native Tasmania, declined comment as he is not yet fully aware of the latest developments here.
Churchill was previously head coach at the Tasmanian Institute of Sport and helped develop some of Australia’s top junior swimmers, including World Cup gold medallist Nicole Hunter.
He joined the Sports School in July 2003 and has coached Tao Li since she enrolled in the school two years ago.
Under Churchill’s supervision, Tao Li, who is currently in Secondary Three, rose to international prominence. The 18-year-old won the 50m butterfly at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, and set an Asian record of 57.54s in the 100m fly more than two weeks ago at the Beijing Olympics, en route to becoming the first Singaporean to qualify for an Olympic swimming final, where she finished fifth.
Tao Li is delighted to hear that her coach may be staying after all.
“If he leaves because of his family, I will fully respect and understand his decision,” said the 2007 Sportswoman of the Year, who is aiming for a medal at the 2012 Games in London.
“But it will be really good if he could stay, as he has helped me a lot in my development. We sometimes don’t agree on things, but we understand each other well.” - TODAY/sh
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