Matt Cowdrey named Australia’s Paralympian of the year
Swimming SASI Scholarship holder Matt Cowdrey has been named Australia’s Paralympian of the Year recognised for his tremendous success at Beijing Games, winning eight medals, five of them gold. Cowdrey created history by winning his five gold medals in world record time in the 50-metre and 100-metre freestyles, 200-metre individual medley, 100-metre backstroke, and as part of the 4 x 100-metre medley relay team.
The 19-year-old, dubbed the ‘superfish’, was also crowned Australian Paralympic Male Athlete of the Year for his outstanding achievements in Beijing.
He claimed the title of Australia’s best Paralympian ahead of great performances from wheelchair racer Kurt Fearnley, triple gold-medal winning runner Heath Francis and cycling veteran Chris Scott.
Cowdrey faced one of heaviest workloads of the Australian Paralympic athletes by competing in eight swimming events. An arm amputee from birth, he does not consider this disability a limitation. He is now ranked among the greats, having already excelled on the world stage with multiple gold-medal performances at the Paralympics, world championships and Commonwealth Games.
The SASI Swimming Program utilises a decentralised
model where swimmers and their coaches are supported
in their home programs. The program currently has a
benchmark entry of 820 FINA points and is targetted at putting swimmers onto senior National Teams. The
program operates under the leadership of a coordinator with the provision of comprehensive sport science
servicing during training and at competition.
Scholarship swimmers also receive access to the SASI strength and conditioning facility and recovery centre and receive fundng assistance with training and competition costs.
A coaches panel is appointed and supported,
based on the performance and selection of swimmers to
the SASI squad and provides important input and leadership
support to the program.
The Swim SA Development programs underpin
the SASI Program.
The SASI Swimming Program is a partnership program funded and supported by the South Australian government through SASI in partnership with both National and State Sporting Organisation. A key partner in the program is Swimming Australia who contributes funding support to the program as part of its National High Performance Plan. The NTC endorsement of the program recognises the status of the program in the sports National High Performance Pathway and also the indirect funding contribution to the SASI program by the Australian Sports Commission through Swimming Australia.
ATHLETE
PATHWAY
The SASI Swimming Program consists of
a network of coaches and swimmers throughout Adelaide.
The program involves the SASI scholarship Squad which
is underpinned by a range of Swim SA Development Squads.
The SASI scholarship Squad aims to develop and support
swimmers and their coaches for selection to national
teams for international events such as World Championships,
Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Pan Pacific Championships
and World Cups.
The Swim SA Development Squads aims to
develop promising young swimmers to achieve the level
of performance required for selection to the SASI Scholarship
Squad.
The Telstra Australian Swimming Championships
serve as the selection trials for the Australian Team
and as such they are the main competition focus for
the SASI swimming scholarship holders. Those swimmers
who are selected to represent Australia compete at the
major international event of the season, which may be
the Commonwealth Games, the Pan Pacific Games, the World
Championships and the Olympics. In addition, swimmers
will contest other events during the season, including
state level competitions, Grand Prix meets and World
Cups. Some of the upcoming meets are:
2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 World Short Course Championships
2007 World Championships
2008 Beijing Olympics
Highlights 2005 (8kb)