Alasdair Whike

Age: 34

Years in coaching: 13

Home town: Edinburgh

Current Position: Head Coach, St Bede's School, Sussex

Previous Positions: Head Coach, Heart of Midlothian ASC; Head Coach, St Bede's School, Sussex; Swimming Coach, East of Scotland Institute of Sport; Director of Performance, Scottish Swimming

Coaching Qualifications: ASA Club Coach

British National Champions coached: None

Other National Champions coached: 14 swimmers, 75 titles

Major Championship Medallists coached: Kirsty Balfour: 2 silver, 1 bronze European Junior Championships 2000

Other International swimmers coached: Kirsty Orr, Kirsty Balfour

Other Coaching Achievements: 10 Scottish Schools Internationalists, 7 Scottish Junior Records, Heart of Midlothian ASC - Scottish National League Division 1 Champions 1999, 4th Scottish Premier League 2000, 3 Scottish Youth Squad Swimmers, 1 National Welsh Squad member, 1 Scottish Junior Elite Squad Swimmer, 1 Scottish Senior Elite Squad Swimmer

Representative Coaching Honours: SASA East District Squad Coach 1996; Scottish Youth Squad Assistant Coach 97/98; Assistant Coach, GB Team European Junior Championships 2000

Coaching Influences: Numerous fellow coaches

Favourite Coaching Resources: Swimming Technique, Swimming Science Journal, Sports Training Principles (Frank Dick), Swimming Even Faster (Ernest Maglischo)

Favourite Coaching Venues: Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh for training and Ponds Forge, Sheffield for racing.

Most important coaching qualities: Self-belief

Best British swimmer of all time: David Wilkie

Best Swimmer of all time: Alex Popov, closely followed by Kieren Perkins

Ambitions as a coach: To produce and develop a swimmer that can win Olympic gold