Friday, August
11, 2000
Nolden
never doubted herself
By MIKE KOREEN, TORONTO
SUN
For two months, Shauna Nolden heard she didn't
belong on the Canadian Olympic swimming team coaching staff.
Through those agonizing days, though, Nolden never doubted she had earned her spot.
"I know I'm a good coach," Nolden said.
The 27-year-old Torontonian's sentiment was validated last weekend when a three-person
committee reappointed her to the staff.
Nolden, the first female coach on the Canadian team, originally was appointed by head
coach Dave Johnson on June 4. However, two female coaches and a coaches association
appealed the appointment, saying Johnson didn't follow the criteria established by
Swimming Canada.
Traditionally, to earn an Olympic spot, a coach must have a swimmer qualify for the Games.
But no Canadian female coaches have a swimmer on the team. Johnson wanted a female on the
staff and felt Nolden was the best candidate.
To avoid a costly hearing, Swimming Canada forced Nolden to reapply for her job and
allowed other female coaches to send in their resumes.
Six other coaches did just that, but Nolden got the nod again.
"That was special," Nolden said this week from an Olympic team training camp in
Winnipeg. "After the first time, everybody cast their opinion, and after the second
selection with a different committee and different criteria it's the same decision and I
get overwhelming support.
However, Nolden's reappointment still drew criticism from other coaches. Some felt the new
criteria was slanted to favour Nolden.
"The new criteria in no way favoured me," Nolden said.
"If people are going to watch me closer at the Olympics, that's fine. I'm 100%
confident I deserve to be there."
Nolden also is confident the controversy surrounding her
appointment will not affect the team next month at Sydney.
"Swimmers don't have time for things like this," she said. They are working
toward a goal of competing at the Olympics and they don't let anything interrupt them.
"Nobody on the team has said anything negative to me. There has been nothing but
support from everybody. This whole team has worked so hard and there is just an
overwhelmingly positive attitude going to Sydney."
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