DiSE swimmers preparing for 'exciting and invaluable' Dubai camp

A group of 95 DiSE swimmers are preparing for a week of ‘learning, racing and enjoyment’ as they get set to travel to an offshore camp in Dubai.

The Hamdan Sports Complex will play host to the cohort of swimmers, coaches and support staff from 6-14 February in what will be the first camp of its kind in almost two years.

Hamilton Aquatics, one of the nations’ most prestigious swimming clubs, will welcome the group for three days of high-performance training followed by three days of racing at the Middle East Open and Junior Championships (MEOJC).

Darren Sims, DiSE assessor manager, said: “This is a really exciting and invaluable trip for our swimmers and we’re delighted to be able to give them this experience.

“The team of practitioners and support staff travelling to Dubai are experts in their fields and will be sharing a wealth of knowledge with the swimmers as they move between their final race preparation into the first day of competition.

“Every precaution has been taken to ensure we can travel, train and race safely and we look forward to what the week has in store.”

Richard Blackshaw, Swim England’s head of swimming talent, said: “This is an exceptional opportunity for learning, racing and enjoyment for these young athletes.

“This trip will aid in encouraging best practice in both training and racing, promoting a ‘process-driven’ approach to the sport and enhancing the arena skills of these athletes.

“This type of practical experience is difficult to replicate and so we look forward to the learnings they will take from this week and how they will implement them into their own home programmes.”

Ash Morris, director of swimming at Hamilton Aquatics, added: “We are looking forward to welcoming Swim England to the Middle East Open Championships again this year.

“Over the past 18 months, we have proven that we are able to provide a safe and competitive environment for the swimmers to compete in.

“This will be our biggest and most competitive meet since the pandemic and we are excited to have some national calibre swimmers to create competitive opportunities for our own swimmers.”

About DiSE

The Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) is an industry-leading, two-year programme that aims to harmoniously combine the studies and high-performance training of athletes across each aquatic sport.

The programmes’ extensive alumni include many inspirational athletes such as Adam Peaty, Rebecca Adlington, Alice Dearing and Jessica-Jane Applegate.

You can find out more about this unique course by visiting the following links for swimming, diving, artistic swimming, and water polo.