Former Olympic Medalist Vladimir Dolgov
to Lead Dynamo Swim Team at the JCC

Olympic swimmer Vladmir Dolgov, a 1980 bronze medalist, is coaching a new, year-round competitive swim team at the JCC. The newly formed Dynamo Swim Team is registered with the United States Swim Association, and is open for competitively minded swimmers, from novice through highschool.

A pre-season camp will be held from Aug. 25 through Sept. 14, and is open to all swimmers interested in receiving additional practice prior to the start of the fall/winter season. Also during this time, those interested in joining the team will be able to tryout for placement in one of four levels. Advance registration for tryouts is not required, but is recommended. Once underway, practices will be held four to five times per week, depending upon the level. The Fall/Winter season begins Sept. 15 and runs through March 8. Spring season will be held April 14 through June 8, with the Summer season held from June 9 through July 26. All practices will be held at the JCC.

Dolgov won his medal in 100m backstroke in the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Ranked one of the top 10 Backstroke Swimmers in the world from 1979-1981, he is also a two-time Silver Medalist in the World Student Games, and seven-time USSR National Champion in the 100m and 200m Backstroke. He holds a Masters Degree in Coaching and Physical Education from Kharkov University, and has more than 24 years of coaching experience.

With his eye still trained on competitive swimming at the world level, Dolgov - who also holds a Ph.D. in biophysics - can offer precious advice on techniques that have earned him and others Olympic medals and World Records.

"New techniques, new ways to train, and new equipment keeps the sport moving forward, keeps it interesting," said Dolgov. "I still get into the water to create new and individualized drills for my swimmers."

Dolgov began training for the Olympics at the age of 18, when he left his family to live and train with the USSR national team. (He said his wife, Svetlana, left her family at 14 to train with the national swim team.) "It's a different way of life," he explained. "We lived and trained with our team members and coaches and we became sort of a family during that time."

While that method of training is not employed by Dolgov today, he said he does enjoy seeing the kids grow up through their years of swimming on his team. "I really like working with the kids. We spend so much time together, it's as if they are my kids, too, and it's a bit sad to see them go off to college," he said. "I would like to see them continue to swim and improve through the college level and hopefully to the Olympics."

Helen Chan, president of the Dynamo Swim Team Parent Boosters, said the Dynamo Swim Team at the JCC is hoping swimmers from Bexley, German Village, Gahanna, Pickerington, Reynoldsburg, Canal Winchester and Grove City will want to join the team. "Swim teams are forming now and some parents and swimmers still are looking for the right 'fit' for them. We want to make sure they know about the Dynamo Swim Team and that sign-ups are going on now," she said.

For more information or to reserve a spot in the pre-season camp, contact Jeanna Brownlee at (614) 559-6274.